The Opening of the Heart
by Chocoholic221B
Summary: Technically School AU, but it'll eventually meet up with the actual storyline in the sequels. Gon & co. are accepted into an academy run by Netero. Chaos ensues in the form of possessive older brothers, Hisokas, Chrollos, romance, and that one manipulator who keeps trying to kill Kurapika. KuroKura and KilluGon. One-sided KuraNeon. Fem!Kura and Fem!Gon.
1. New Kiddies

Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter, but if I did it wouldn't be on hiatus right now. And Gon would probably be a girl

Netero's Academy for Prospective Playthings:

Chapter 1: Netero and the New Kids

He was dying. Isaac Netero felt his skull slowly splitting due to boredom, and he knew death was upon him. He could see the tabloids now;

 _Isaac Netero, the most powerful man in the world died last week in his office apartment in Seikatsu Academy. Cause still unknown, but experts say his skull had been split in two, as if his brain was attempting to escape. What will happen now that the most influential man in the world is dead? And was it really as natural as people say? Or is there something much more nefarious going on here?_

He couldn't have that. Unfortunately, some things one simply can never avoid. And at the moment boredom seemed to be one of those.

One would imagine that as Chairman of the Hunter's Association, and the principal/president of the most prestigious Hunter Academy in the world he might have been better entertained, but his world had grown increasingly predictable over the years. Millions of students, and they're all after two things; money and power. Maiybe he should stop being so selective with admission process. If only he could instigate something more dangerous, like the Hunter Exam. Unfortunately, the Hunter's Association rejected his proposal of reinstating the age-old tradition of bringing together applicants from all over the world who would be forced to compete in four extremely dangerous phases in order to get their Hunter's license. They said it was to dangerous and that too many students would die. Hmph, what a bunch of worrywarts. Never letting him have any fun.

Now all he can do is wait for a miracle.

"Netero-sama, I found something." And here it is now. A chubby, red-haired woman walked into the room, and dropped three manila folders on the sparsely used chair. Chubby-san is really such a wonderful assistant. She'll be given the obscenely difficult task of finding a needle in a haystack, and an hour later she'd be done. The needle being an interesting student in a haystack of hopelessly dull ones.

"Thank you, you may go now." Netero jumped down onto the pearly marble floor next to the wooden chair. He grabbed the first folder, and flipped it open. A girl beamed up at him. Dark green curls framed her copper face in waves, and her amber eyes glowed with everlasting joy. Netero chuckled. _Igonia S. Freecss._ Here at last. She looked like her father, but they seemed to differ greatly in terms of personality. She had inherited her mother's personality. They had the same illuminating smile, one that seemed to warm the room through the ink and paper. As if every smile contained a benevolent energy whose purpose was to melt everyone's hearts. No matter how cold those hearts were. Just as Emilie had. Even their goals are similar. It almost seemed that all Freecss girls held a similar goal in their vast hearts. Even Mito had fallen prey to this trap as a child. They all wanted to find Ging, and Ging seemed intent on running from them. Funny really, the man seemed to have an affinity for running away from the people he loves the most. Almost like a curse. The curse of anti-commitment. He chuckled to himself again. With his help the girl would be able to find her father in no time. Seeing the look of surprise on Ging's face would have been enough to convince him of the girl's potential in regards to the alleviation of his boredom. Unfortunately for Igonia, she played a much larger role in this story. And with that role, a much heavier burden.

Netero put away the folder and his contemplation, and grabbed the next one. He flipped it open, and a cold stare hit him. He recognized that gaze. He'd heard of it, and had been a recipient of it a long time ago. A Zoldyck in his school. Netero leaned against the desk, and his previously carefree countenance turned startlingly serious. The Zoldycks were merciless. The children born to be killers, and raised to be assassins. They learned how to rip out hearts before they could talk. They were too dangerous even for him. A Zoldyck child, the heir no less, could kill off half the student body before they had time to blink, especially if he got riled up. That would not only lead to Killua's expulsion, but also send the school board and a million parents to his doorstep seeking compensation. He couldn't afford such a disaster, and he knew that, but as he looked at the young Zoldyck all he saw was a boy who was forced to grow up too soon, and suffered too much. He pitied him, and Netero rarely let his feelings rule his head, but this time he felt it might be wiser to trust his heart. Something told him that the boy with the cold stare was less a cold-hearted assassin, and more of a broken bird. _Time for a leap of faith, Isaac._

The old man tossed the folder to the side next to Igonia's. He flipped open the third folder, and a stunning blonde gazed up at him with a stoic expression. Her gaze didn't hold the cold fire that Killua's held. Her eyes took on a veiled appearance, as if she was hiding something, and for once Netero couldn't place an applicant. _Kurapika Calin_. Why does that name seem so familiar? And then it hit him, and the folder nearly slipped out of his grasp. A Kurta. Not just any Kurta. It was Pirru's daughter. That adorable little girl who cried at the sight of spiders, and laughed without discretion. The girl with boundless energy. She used to drag him around, and forced him to teach her about the world outside the tribe. _She's alive._ A Kurta, and she'd come to his school in hopes of gaining enough power to defeat the Genai Ryodan. He couldn't let her come here. It was a suicide mission. No, not if he could get her to stop. He'd need help. He doubted she'd simply trust an old man like him who seems to know far too much about her, and accepted her into his academy when she had virtually no experience. He'll have to figure it out later, but for now, it would be best to have her in the school where they could keep an eye on her, and make sure she doesn't get herself killed. He's also have to let Chrollo know. He was not looking forward to that conversation.

He absentmindedly pushed the folder aside. He picked up the last folder of the bunch, and braced himself for another blast from the past. Leorio Paladiknight. Netero raised an eyebrow. The man looked thirty, but his profile said nineteen. Could he be lying. That would be odd, age is of little importance in the admission process. Perhaps it was genetic. He inspected the image closer, and something in his memory was suddenly triggered. The little wannabe doctor who always argued with Kurapika when he came down to the Tribe. He had only seen him once or twice, but he had come off as rather arrogant. Not a good characteristic for a prospective student to possess. His motivation was sub-par as well. He just wanted money. There was virtually nothing interesting about him other than the fact that he had once worked at the Kurta Clan's clinic.

"Chubby-san, why is Leorio Paladiknight one of the candidates?" Netero asked, perplexed. He had lost all seriousness by that time, and had adopted his usual cheerful countenance.

"My name is Hotaru, Netero-sama." Chubby-san said in a slightly exasperated tone. Work for the most powerful man in the world for thirty years, and he doesn't even bother to remember your name. Sometimes, she thought he only pretended not to know her name to piss her off. Perhaps she should take that job offer from Gakuen Alice.

"Isn't that a girl's name?" Netero asked, despite knowing it was rude. Netero has around ninety years under his belt, he is above being polite. It's just another one of society's restrictions upon the young people. He'll let them deal with it.

"I am a girl, Netero-sama." Hotaru had grown accustomed to this by now. He asked the same question every time he heard her name.

"You are. Since when. Did you get a sex change. Why wasn't I informed?" Netero asked, indignantly.

"I've always been a girl, Netero-sama," this reaction, she was used to as well. As any good assistant should be.

"Oh, yes, I understand," no. He didn't. "Leorio Paladiknight."

Hotaru simply sighed, "He's friends with Igonia and Kurapika."

"So?" Netero asked, truly curious, and Hotaru rolled her eyes at his insensitivity.

"I thought it'd be a shame to tear them apart," Hotaru said.

"Are we being sentimental again, Chubby-san?" Netero chided, playfully.

"Hotaru."

"Yes, yes, but I suppose it would be a shame to break up a trio." he said, suddenly convinced that the group without one person was like a lamp without a light bulb. It just wasn't the same. Besides, if what Hotaru said turned out to be accurate, Leorio had taken up an important role in Kurapika's life. She'll need him with her.

"I'll send out acceptance letters immediately," Hotaru replied, her back already to him.

"Oh, and Chubby-chan," Netero said, and Hotaru turned her head slightly towards him, ready to retreat in case he starts spouting more nonsense. "It's alright to be sentimental from time to time."

"Point taken. I'll be taking the afternoon off." she said. It was a statement, not a request.

"Eh, why?" Netero asked. Sounding rather like a child.

"I'm going out to lunch with Senritsu." Hotaru said.

"Oh how cute, he's a nice man. A bit disfigured, but true love doesn't discriminate." Netero the fanboy. Hotaru shuddered at the thought.

"Senritsu is also a girl," Hotaru said. "Either way, I'm leaving."

"Bye-bye, Chubby-chan." Hotaru shut the door behind her, quietly, as usual. Netero leaped off the mahogany desk, and walked towards the grand windows that spread out across the room. The sun set behind the stunning glass skyscrapers, and Netero sighed. This year's applicants were already exceeding his expectations. An impressive feat all on its own, as he is a very difficult man to surprise.

It was going to be an interest year, alright.

He just hoped it wouldn't be the last one.

Because, seriously, this was one dangerous leap of faith he was taking.

 **A/N: Three chapters in, and I'm already rewriting. My plot-line got turned upside down. Don't worry, the fourth chapter is on its way. I just want to make sure this story is at its best for you guys.**

 **Thank you, my dearies.**

 **P.S. This is currently 1913 words. I'm so proud of me.**


	2. Memories

**Disclaimer: If I owned Hunter x Hunter, I probably would've made all my ships canon by now.**

Netero's Academy for Potential Playthings

Chapter 2: Memories

Igonia S Freecss' eyes brightened at the sight of the brilliant sun setting behind the stunning glass buildings. It was so pretty, the buildings looked like giant crystals reflecting the sun's last rays of light. The sunsets back on Whale Island were still unbeatable, but these were becoming a quick second. They had a life all their own.

"Gon!" If it were possible, Gon's radiant face lit up even more at the two voices; one masculine and oddly goofy, and the other twinkling like a bell. Got turned around to face her two new friends, Leorio and Kurapika. Leorio was a really tall man with spiky black hair, and dark eyes. He was also a bit of a show off, and even though Gon didn't really mind (there were always a lot of showoffs at the bar her Aunt Mito and baa-san ran), but it seemed to really annoy Kurapika for some reason. They seemed to fight a lot, and reminded Gon of that married couple that always gave her cookies and milk when she came by. They were nice. They also made the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. Great, now she wanted cookies.

Gon's train of thought was broken by Kurapika's sweet, yet authoritative voice, "you really shouldn't walk around the city on your own, Gon. There's a lot of dangerous people prowling about. You wouldn't want what happened last time to repeat itself."

"Gomenasai, Kurapika." Gon said, scratching the back of her head, sheepishly as the embarrassing events that took place a few weeks prior flew through her head.

* * *

 ***Flashback Galore***

Growl.

 _Gon's stomach rumbled in protest, clearly dissatisfied at the abuse it was being put through. She silently apologized to it, as she passed another deliciously smelling restaurant. The aroma of pasta and bread hitting her nose. She could have cried, but she swallowed the hunger down. She promised her Aunt Mito she could do this, and she will._

 _Unfortunately, she didn't expect the food and hotels to be so pricey. She really wished she had prepared herself better. Perhaps, she shouldn't have come. No. She was here, and she was here to stay. She couldn't go back to Whale Island just because times got tough. Her father didn't. And he was here. His letter said so, so he must be here._

 _Gon nodded affirmatively to herself. Ging came here for some reason, and she wanted to find that reason. She wanted to find him, and ask him why he really left. She wanted to see what being a hunter is like, and if it lived up to all the hype. This was the first step, and her taking it was enough for now. Soon, she'll be on her way. Considering she doesn't die of hunger first._

" _Are you alright, young lady, you seem lost?" a voice said from behind her. Gon turned around to see a plump, short man with thinning hair, and a deceptively friendly smile._

 _Gon glanced around as if expecting some other young lady to be standing behind her. There wasn't. Gon smiled and chirped a greeting, bright as the sun, naïve to a fault. Her stomach growled again, and the man feigned concern._

 _"You must be hungry. These days, no one seems to be willing to help out the new folk, all about connections, you know. Such a shame," he said, a deep frown forming on his face before suddenly lighting up. "I know, the place I work at has a free ticket dinner for folks who are new to town."_

 _Got brightened up, "really, thanks Mister."_

" _You don't have to call me that, it makes me feel old. Call me Tonpa." The man said, smiling as he gestured for her to follow him, and Gon quickly caught up with him._

" _Ton-pa," Gon enunciated each syllable separately, as she often did when learning someone's name for the first time. "Nice to meet you Tonpa-san, my name is Gon. Well, my real name is Igonia, but most people call me Gon. "_

 _Tonpa chuckled maliciously at her naivety, but Gon remained oblivious, mistaking his laugh for one of as they walked casually down the street. The green-haired girl continued to chatter on about herself, and Tonpa replied, despite not really paying attention. He was too busy basking in the stares of the people around them. Some of them curious, but most in pity. They knew who he was, and what he did._

 _Tonpa smirked, none of them would dare stand in his way when he was rookie crushing. He had connections in the city. He'd been there forty six years, born and raised. Let's just say, he picked up the habit of breaking the newbies in his stay. It was fun._ _He glanced at the blissfully ignorant girl besides him. And the happy ones were the most fun, because when they broke, they broke completely. Tonpa had to stifle the maniacal laughter, as he continued to lead her to the trap. A few minutes more. This one seemed intent on chatting her mouth off, and Tonpa's ears couldn't take much more of this. Thankfully, the shop lay only a block away. He grinned at another night's job well done. No one stopped his rookie crushing. They didn't have the guts to try._

" _Leave her be, Tonpa."_

 _Tonpa could've screamed. It was_ her _. The only person in the entire city who could never be bought. Not through connections, nor bribes, nor threats. The most terrifying woman he'd ever met. The coldest individual he'd ever laid eyes on. And her name was Kurapika Calin._

 _Reluctantly, he turned around, vaguely noting that Gon had already fully turned toward the older girl. And there she stood in all her icy glory, her eyes cold as ever, and stance akin to a mother getting ready to scold her naughty children. She had her blonde hair pulled back with a scarlet elastic, and wore a black tank top and shorts. A pair of navy running shoes covered her feet. She'd clearly just been out for a run, though she didn't look it. She never did. Honestly, girl's probably not even human. She gave him a sharp glare, as if she could read his mind and had taken offence, and Tonpa gulped under the penetrating stare. He didn't have time for this._

 _And without a second thought, Tonpa the rookie crusher vanished into the night._

 _Kurapika sighed, he never learns. She turned her gaze towards the girl she had just saved from a lifetime of trauma, and what she saw almost made her take a step back in shock._

 _The girl had seemed to have begun sparkling at some point between her arrival and Tonpa's escape. Either way it was rather disconcerting._

" _Wh … what is it?" Kurapika asked, cautiously, not sure if she wanted to know._

" _Sugoi, you just made him run away without doing anything. And you're so pretty." Gon said, stepping closer to Kurapika as if she was the best thing since chocolate. Kurapika almost blushed at the compliment. One which she had received many a time, but never with such genuinity. Unfortunately, the moment was quickly ruined._

" _Don't flatter her, it's bad for her head," a man in his mid-thirties with glasses sat their with a briefcase in his left hand. He had dark hair and sideburns, and his eyes tinted a dark vivid green. His clothing had a formal atmosphere to it, but Gon didn't think they suited him too well. Gon continued to stare at him, analyzing him in the most innocent of ways, until Kurapika's still cool voice. Though Gon thought she heard some warmth in her voice this time. These two must be close in a different way than Kurapika and Tonpa were. They were friends, good ones._

" _I thought you said you weren't coming," Kurapika said as she released her defensive stance in favor of a more casual one. She let her weight shift to her right leg, and put one hand on her hip._

 _Leorio averted his eyes, "I wasn't going to, but I decided it wasn't a very noble thing to do. A gentleman like me couldn't let a lady go into a battlefield alone." She smirked at the reply._

" _I'm not a lady," she muttered in a slightly bitter tone, and for a second Gon thought the amiable air around them turned somber, but Kurapika's teasing tone soon returned. "And you're certainly not a gentleman. Remember the psychologist."_

 _Leorio's face took on an odd shade of red, and Gon's stomach took the silence that followed as an opportunity to grumble a question that it's been dying to ask; 'Can you spare some food for a hungry digestive system?"_

 _Both Leorio and Kurapika turned towards the source of the noise in surprise. Gon blushed, and glued her eyes to the floor. Kurapika's face softened as she gazed at the other girl, and a small smile tugging at her lips._

" _Would you like to eat supper with us, Miss?" Kurapika asked, softly. Gon's head shot up in shock, but her surprised expression soon turned into one of joy._

" _Hai!"_

* * *

It had been three weeks since that day. Kurapika told Gon she could stay with them as long as she'd like, and she responded by helping around their small apartment. Throughout those three weeks, Gon learned a few things about the duo. Leorio and Kurapika were apparently childhood friends, and had moved to Zaban City five years ago for reasons Kurapika didn't seem to want to talk about. Leorio was a doctor. Well, that's what he said, but Kurapika always reminded that he was actually unemployeed at the moment. Kurapika did all sorts of jobs around the city, and seemed to get a lot of money out of them. She didn't seem to spend much of it though. They have also all decided to apply to Seikatsu Academy, the most prestigious Hunter Academy in the world, and the academy Ging went to. It was also one of the most expensive colleges in the world. Kurapika was reluctant at first, calculating that even with scholarships and need-based financial aid, they still wouldn't be able to afford it. And since none of them, except Leorio to an extent, were actually schooled or tested by any conventional means, scholarships were out of the question. Gon won her over eventually, though, as she often did these days. Leorio thought Kurapika's soft spot for the cheerful younger girl was hilarious, and wasted no time in mentioning it. Kurapika promptly told him to shut up every time.

Gon smiled at the memory as a little nervousness suddenly seeped through. Today was the day. The day the school would be mailing their response to their applications. She had a good feeling about this for some reason. She, and Kurapika, and Leorio would definitely get in. She just knew it! Maybe, not at first, but some day. Some day they'll definitely get there, and she'll meet her father.

"Let's get back to the apartment, Gon," Kurapika said, already walking back in the direction of the huge building. Gon simply nodded, still in a daze of memories, before following Kurapika. Leorio took one last glance at the setting sun, and followed the two girls.

"Hai!" They both said, Leorio even tacking on a mocking 'sensei' at the end.

 **A/N: That was kind of sweet, right? Anyway, my apologies for any OOCness (especially with Kurapika, he's a hard one to right in girl form). Make some predictions about Kura's past. It's not coming for a while, but it's pretty important. Also, for all you Killua fans, he's coming soon. Patience is a virtue, my pretties.**

 **Question of the Day: What is your favorite Hunter x Hunter character?**


	3. Acceptance Letters and Killua

**Disclaimer: I don't own H x H, but if I did . . . I'm not sure what I'd do. I'd probably make a school AU extension.**

 **Netero's Academy for Potential Playthings**

 **Chapter 3: Acceptance Letters and Killua**

Gon stared at the letter in shock, as three words stood above the rest, ' _you've been accepted_.' Gon hadn't expected to get in. Sure, she was the one who suggested they apply, but even her naivety had limits. She never believed she would be accepted on the first try. That wouldn't have stopped her, since rejection had little effect her. She'd just try again next year. And the year after that. And the year after that. Eventually she would get in. But, she didn't have to fight her way in. They accepted her on the first try, and she didn't really now what to do next, or why she was accepted in the first place.

But Gon was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so instead of becoming suspicious as most people tend to, she brightened.

"Yatta, I got in!" She shouted in glee, leaping off the couch she had previously been sitting on.

"So did I!" Leorio yelled, also leaping off the worn, red couch.

"Sugoi," Gon said, raising her hand for a high-five. Leorio responded without hesitation, and they did a little victory lap around the apartment. And, in their enthusiasm, they almost forgot about the missing puzzle in their celebration. The two immediately quieted, as even they knew that at a time like this, shutting up was the best choice. The two of them slowly turned their heads towards the pretty blonde who, unlike them, hadn't moved a muscle from the red sofa.

 _No way._

"Kurapika?" Gon started in a cautious voice. "Did you . . . get rejected." Kurapika's dark eyes widened, and she looked up at them with an expression Gon couldn't quite discern. It looked almost like her eyes were filled with fear. As if they were almost broken.

And then it was gone, and Kurapika regained her usual, calming expression.

"Aa, I got in." She showed them the pink paper, and a smile graced her lips. Gon did not seem convinced, and by now she'd come to realize that something had happened in Kurapika's past. Something bad. Something that filled her eyes with fear, and made her seem broken. Something that kept her from trusting others. Something that made her hide in a city she didn't even seem to like. And it pricked at Gon's eyes. The sight of her friend's despondent expression. She moved to tell Kurapika that it was going to be fine, but then she saw Leorio walk towards Kurapika with an expression she rarely saw on his face. Seriousness. Leorio was not amused.

"What is it?" He asked. His tone held a hint of irritation, and Kurapika braced herself for another argument.

"What do you mean?" Kurapika responded, willing to stall for as long as it took for him to calm down. Gon looked between the two friends, and slowly edged out of the room. And out of the line of fire. The arguments had become routine for her, and she now knew when to exit the warzone. And when to stay. She chose to leave this time. After all, she won't always be there to stop there squabbles. And also, she felt the coming conversation seemed far too private for someone like her to listen in on. Before they knew it, Leorio and Kurapika were left alone.

"You don't seem very happy." Leorio pointed out. Kurapika exhaled a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, and finally let go of her facade. She allowed her shoulders to slump, and her elbows to rest on her knees.

"I just find it a little odd." She replied, simply.

"Do you really think the Phantom Troupe has anything to do with this?" Leorio asked, still looking down at her.

"No." She lied, averting her eyes, and placing her chin on the palm of her hand. The older man kneeled down to her eye-level, and attempted to meet the black orbs now hidden behind blonde curtains.

"Oi, it's okay," Kurapika finally met his eyes, and Leorio's face broke into a grin. "Gotcha."

Kurapika rolled her eyes, but a smile was clearly forcing its way onto her lips, "how childish."

Leorio chuckled at her failed attempt at a serious expression. No one could resist one of his jokes. Not even depressed, paranoid Kurapika. Speaking of which, it's time to call Serious Leorio again.

"But seriously, Kura. There's no need to be so worried. Sometimes good things happen for no reason." Leorio tried to poke her forehead, but she swiftly caught his hand.

"I don't think so." She stated in her usual monotone, and Leorio withdrew his hand.

"Yeah, I didn't think it'd work." This time, Leorio averted his eyes. Kurapika smirked, and mimicked what he had done when she tried to avoid his gaze. Except she succeeded without resorting to tricks.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Leorio replied, and a comfortable silence fell upon them for a few minutes until Kurapika decided to speak.

"I was expecting more of a fight."

"Yeah, well, I'm not in much of a fighting mood." Leorio picked himself off the ground, and sat down next to Kurapika.

That day, neither of them said anything to annoy the other. That is to say, Leorio didn't say anything annoying for the last few hours left in the day.

Looks like it wasn't as much of a battle field as she expected.

Gon smiled, as she lay on her perfectly made bed. Leorio and Kurapika argued all the time, but they were always there for each other when it really mattered. Kind of like how Aunt Mito was always there for Gon, but not entirely the same. They were friends, but also something more. Something stronger, and Gon didn't know what it was. But ... she knew she wanted to know what it felt like. To have a friend your age. That'd be nice ... someday.

Gon shook her head, and turned onto her side. She'll think about that later. First, she needed to find her father. Still, she almost felt like that day was no longer so far away. Perhaps, it was a side effect of the acceptance letter

Miles away, a certain Killua Zoldyck lay on his comfortable bed in his high-class suite situated in the center of the city. Staying in one place had been a giant risk for the young Zoldyck, as his family would certainly be looking for him, but he didn't want to run away from them. It would be like admitting they still had a leash on him. Besides, the security placed inside the Nostrade Hotel chain was second only to Seikatsu Academy. Which he would soon be attending.

It was, indeed, a huge achievement. Apparently, it Seikatsu Academy held the title of _'most prestigious school in the world'_. And for that reason, he had no doubt someone was pulling the acceptance strings. And for _that_ reason, he was extremely suspicious of the school. Either way, if it turned out to be some sort of trap then he could just kill them all. No point in rejecting them. If it, somehow, turns out to be true, then he'd be freeing himself from his family and working towards a hunter's license at the same time. If not, well, it won't take much to get rid of them. And if they knew about his identity, which they undoubtedly did, then he would rather keep an eye on them, and make sure they didn't step over the line. He might not exactly be running from his family, but he would prefer it if they stayed out of his life. Preferably forever.

 **Next Time On NAPP:**

 **(Gon meets Killua. Hisoka meets the gang. And the big four might or might not be roommates)**

 **A/N: I write short chapters. I'll have you know this is four pages of sheer brainpower. 4 1/19 pages. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this unedited chapter, and I suggest you review. Because I like reviews, and they highly motivate me. And if they highly motivate me then I might come up with another well-written chapter by the end of this week. Probably not. I'm going places. My brain's gonna take a vacation. Then I'll be back. Maybe with a longer chapter. I might shoot for 2000 words.**

 **Question of the Day: Do you want a Leorio/Kura/Chrollo love triangle? I personally don't like love triangles, but LeoKura are cute.**

 **Question #2: What do you think of LeoKura?**

 **Replies To My Darlings:**

 **Guest: Thanks for reviewing, and sorry for not responding sooner. I'm glad you like Gon's name. It took me, like, an hour to come up with it. I'm glad someone appreciates my boundless efforts. I didn't realize that Netero analyzing the characters was actually another way of introducing the character, so thank you for pointing it out. Your compliments make me blush. And as for Kurapika's past. It's very important, and very sad. Prepare your tear ducts. :)**


	4. Those Creepy Next Door Neighbors

**Disclaimer:**

 **Me: Ok, Mari #2, you take the ground control. Mari #3 and 4 will take the reprogramming and disarming.**

 **Mari #2: What about you, boss?**

 **Me: Don't worry, Mari #5 and I are going to storm the third one, and get the documents which should be in room 355.**

 **Mari #5: 344.**

 **Me: Right. That.**

 **[Two buff security officers arrive]**

 **Security: Hey, what are you doing in here?!**

 **Me: Mayday, mayday, Operation Steal Hunter x Hunter is under fire. Retreat, retreat.**

 **Sad to say, I never did get the rights.**

 **Chapter 4: Those Creepy Next Door Neighbors**

Gon's eyes blearily opened to the sound of knocking. She slowly processed that the sound had come from the front entrance of the small apartment, and hopped out of bed, as if she hadn't just been woken up very rudely at seven o'clock in the morning.

 _Knock. Knock. Knock. Knockkncockknock._

The knocking steadily increased in both volume, and frequency. The girl sprinted out of her room, and ran to open the door. After all, it was rude to keep others waiting.

"Gon," Kurapika's sleepy, and oddly imperious voice rang out. "What did we say about opening the door to strangers?

"Not to do it," Gon replied, almost automatically. She remembered that Mito had always told her the same thing, but Gon's impulses and naivety often clouded her judgement. Gon turned to Kurapika, and watched the older girl gesture for her to move away from that. Gon did as she was told, and watched the older girl walk up to the door in her usual graceful prance.

"Who is it?" she asked, cautiously.

The person, a man, on the other side of the door droned in reply, "This is the Seikatsu Academy's personal chauffeur. Serving only the finest young minds since 145 AE."

"Classes don't start until September first," she retorted, sharply. She leaned against the wall next to the door, too tired to stand up straight. Her eyes fluttered shut, and Gon thought for a second that she might fall asleep like that. After all, she's Kurapika. She can do all sorts of weird things. Yesterday, she found her reading while she made pancakes for breakfast. Pancakes.

 _Growl._

As usual, Gon's stomach did the talking. She hadn't even realized she had gotten hungry. She also didn't notice Kurapika smirk at her stomach's objections, as the shadows obscured her pale face. The monotone man spoke again.

"You are required to arrive as soon as possible. This is a direct order from the President." Kurapika didn't seem convinced, but she opened the door anyway. She could easily knock him out, if it came down to it. The door revealed a smartly dressed young man with blue hair, and sunglasses that masked eyes. Gon thought he looked nice, but Kurapika seemed to disagree, or care, as she simply crossed her arms and stepped into a defensive position.

"Do you have any proof," Kurapika asked, clearly not willing to back down, despite her stoic expression saying otherwise. The man reflected her emotionless countenance, and fluidly pulled out a laminated business blonde flicked it out of his hand in a way Gon found a bit harsh, and held it up to the light with her index and middle finger propping it up. A picture of the ever-frowning man standing in front of a forested wall. Professionally black letters were arranged meticulously on a blue ground, reading: _Ren Katsuki, Official Seikatsu Academy Chauffeur_. The card gleamed in the dim light of the lamp above her as if trying to convince her of its validity, but Kurapika had never been an easy person to win over.

Just as the Kurta opened her mouth to ask for further verification, a loudly familiar voice exclaimed in its usual fervor, "A chauffeur! you have to admit these guys have style. So, when are you taking us?"

"Leorio!" Kurapika scolded the towering man, who replied by simply looking at her in confusion. "We can't just go with a random stranger, because he has a shiny card."

"Yeah, but . . ." Leorio trailed off. He realized he didn't have a much of a reply to that. and Kurapika turned her attention back towards the ocean-haired man, but realized that a dark-haired maiden had already stolen his focus.

"So, do you have a limo?" Gon asked, innocently looking up at the older man. So many questions popping into her head at the word chauffeur. For example, what exactly was a chauffeur? Were they like personal taxi drivers? How could he see in those sunglasses.

"Yes." Was his simple answer, as he looked down at the much shorter female. Her amber eyes sparkled with enthusiasm despite his own indifference, and her mouth opened once more to spew out another round of nonsense which he had no time for. He disliked being late, and these kids were taking up an excess amount of time from his schedule. The amber-orbed one with her unnecessary questions, and the blonde with her stubborn skepticism. He's been in this business for eight years, and not once had he fallen out of his perfectly arranged schedule. Neither has anyone in his family. Not one for the 12345 years they've been in the business. He wasn't about to break that tradition. Neither seemed to realize, and the overly hyper one looked like she found another round of questions to bombard him with, so he decided to intervene and get this over with.

"We really must be on our way, if you wish to see more evidence, Miss Calin, simply visit the official website. Every one of the Academy's employees are listed there." Kurapika cast her calculating gaze on him once more, but the excited faces of her two companions won her over.

If they die, it is their fault.

Gon bounced through the entire car ride, waving to random pedestrians as if they were old friends. The man in black sat in the front of the limo, not even glancing at them, which Kurapika was grateful for since driving without direct focus on the road often led to tragedy. The blonde looked out the window in contemplation. What was she going to do? Leorio had told her not to worry, but worry was a hard emotion to fight off, and this surprise visit only solidified her speculations. But how does she go about confirming them without Leorio's knowledge. She hated lying to him, but in this case it appeared to be the only way. She'll have to find a way to keep him distracted while she goes talk with the Office of Admissions. But how?

"Kurapika? Kurapika?" A voice suddenly vibrated in her ear. Kurapika turned to its source, and was met with Gon's face just a few inches away from her's.

"What is it, Gon?" She asked, and the girl pointed out the window at a castle-like building. Seikatsu Academy.

"We're here!" The younger teen squealed right in her ear, as they drove through some type of garden. Vibrant green trees lined the road, and flowers dotted the fields around them. A red, wooden bridge met them half way, and Gon seemed amazed that a wooden bridge could hold such a heavy load. The few animals remaining scattered into the faraway woods, and a sprawling mountain range circled around the entire campus like a giant wall. Which would normally be beautiful, but at the moment felt like a cage which had been designed to keep students in. A glimmer of water caught Kurapika's eye, and she could see a sliver of blue lake behind the Academy. Besides the grand, red castle-like building, stood a smaller (but still unreasonably large) building. This one sported a greyish blue color, and had large stained-glass windows that glimmered and reflected the glorious sunlight in a hundred different hues.

"Sure lives up to its name, huh, Gon?" Leorio commented, as he edged closer to the window, ignoring the driver's yells telling him to stay buckled up. Gon nodded in reply, apparently speechless. Kurapika smiled at the two careless teens, and looked out towards their surroundings once more. It was pretty alright. She just hoped it wasn't wasted on a corrupted system.

After they had driven up to the dorms (which had their own section in the expansive Academy building) Mr. Katsuki told them to walk inside, and wait for a lady to come pick them up. And then he left. So, they really possessed little control in the matter. Which was quite difficult for Gon, because she wanted to go explore the rest of the campus. Especially if it was as pretty as the entrance to the dorms.

Their shoes clacked against the polished marble floor, and Leorio almost slipped a few times because it was so smooth. An unlit fireplace stood sandwiched in between two spotless windows, and Gon decided that this room must be even more gorgeous in the winter. A long red and gold carpet spread out across the floor extending from the fireplace to the other end of the hall where two security guards stood, and several mahogany tables and plush chairs were scattered throughout the room. They were unoccupied, since school wouldn't be starting for another two weeks. Gon ran over to one of the chairs, a big sapphire one with huge pillows, and collapsed in it. Which was amusing, since both Kurapika and Leorio knew that Gon's energy was limitless. Leorio ran over to another chair, which sported a bright emerald hue, and mimicked Gon - albeit more dramatically. Leorio and Gon looked at Kurapika with an expectant expression.

"Come on, Kurapika! These chairs are amazing!" Gon yelled across the room, as she attempted to sit up in her chair. Which was futile, since she just sunk back in.

Kurapika sighed, and joined them, sitting down in yet another chair. It almost swallowed her whole. She struggled for a while, not even saving time to glare at Leorio when he laughed at her suffering. And Gon was about to join in, but then she felt something. A penetrating stare focused on the three of them. She looked up the spiral staircase to the first landing. There was a man standing there, dressed in clothes that belonged in a circus somewhere. They made eye contact, and Gon almost shivered under his probing stare. The narrow, cold eyes that seemed to look right through her. The red hair forming spikes on his head only adding to his maniacal appearance.

For once in her life, even Gon couldn't cajole herself into finding an inner goodness in this man. She wasn't even certain he had any. Still, she found it hard to break away from those eyes. Only when Kurapika, who had apparently also noticed him, spoke did she tear her eyes away.

"Who are you?" She demanded, moving in front of Gon, defensively. Leorio moved to her as well, placing a warm hand on her shoulder, and glaring up at the crazy clown man. She hadn't realized her skin had turned so frigid. She gulped. What was this? She cast a glance towards the man who simply threw them a creepy smile, and left. Kurapika immediately turned to Gon and Leorio.

"Are you okay?" She asked, as she kneeled down beside her. "You looked scared."

Gon stared up at her. No, she'd been scared before, and being scared felt differently. She had felt ... disconcerted, she supposed, but not scared. She didn't know why, but she got the distinct feeling that despite the dark thousand-yard stare that the red-haired man wished her no ill will at the moment. He just seemed bored.

"No," she replied, her voice surprisingly steady. "I'm fine."

Kurapika, being the queen of authoritative/cold facade, knew she felt far from fine. However, she also knew it was no use talking her around. She just hoped whatever had shaken her wouldn't keep her down.

"I'm sorry for the wait," a warm, musical voice rang through the air, revealing a chubby woman with buckteeth. Gon liked her instantly, and she was a welcome change to the disturbing man.

"I suspect you're the one that will be leading us to our dorm?" Kurapika noted, her tone cold as it always seemed to be with strangers. The woman simply smiled.

"Yes, my name is Senritsu. I am your counselor. I will also serve as a temporary dorm supervisor until Miss Kreuger returns," her soft voice worked like magic. It felt like a wave of calm swept over the room, and even Kurapika seemed to soften at the other woman's voice.

"Nice to meet you, Senritsu-san!" Gon exclaimed, cheerily, as she walked over to greet the much shorter lady.

"Nice to meet you as well, Igonia," she smiled back at the girl. "Well, follow me. Your dorm is this way. I should also inform you that you'll be staying with one other person during your time with us."

"Who's that?" Gon asked, curiously. New roommate means new friend, after all.

"Funny, he asked the same about you three," Senritsu laughed at the coincidence, these two will get along well. "Unfortunately, you'll just have to wait and see."

A flicker of a frown flew across the Freecss' face, but it was replaced by her usual stellar grin mere seconds later. She liked surprises.

"Here we are," Senritsu lilted in her warm voice. "Suite 1489. You can go right in, your things are already being transported to the Academy, so no worries there. Your apartment will also be secured, so Kurapika won't have to worry about paying the rent anymore."

"How do you know about that?" all three of them inquired at the same time, even though their expressions varied greatly. Kurapika seemed slightly surprised, but who knew what she really felt. Leorio appeared a little indignant, clearly uncomfortable with the fact that someone else knows how useless he was financially. And Gon? Well, she looked genuinely impressed.

Senritsu chuckled again, "we do a background check on each of our students." She noticed Kurapika stiffen. "Don't worry, it wasn't anything too intensive. Very basic. We want to place as much trust in our students as possible."

Senritsu unlocked the white, wooden door, gave the key to Kurapika, and bid her goodbye. At least, they respected their privacy to some degree. The fact almost comforted Kurapika. But ... not quite. Gon noticed Kurapika's distress, and grabbed her hand. Kurapika looked at Gon in confusion, but Gon simply smiled. Just before dragging the disoriented - she never thought that word would apply to Kurapika, of all people - blonde inside.

She never stood a chance.

Gon galloped away from the girl in giddiness. The floor looked like it was made of crystals, and the walls made of marble. A large window that had been painted a striking shade of white stood in the middle of each wall. A mini library beside each one. If the entrance alone was this expansive, what else did this treasure trove hold? Gon couldn't wait to find out.

She walked through the first arched doorway to the living room. The walls were painted a calming shade of turquoise, and the hardwood floor gleamed in the glow of the automatic lights. A television sat in a corner, and a couch placed next to a wall. A shiny, slick computer stood on top of a blue desk with green designs painted on it. Even a ping-pong table had been placed inside the room. Gon had only seen one of those once when she was nine, and had actually played a couple rounds with the owner of the table. She had lost, of course, but she remembered it fondly. The man and her had become great friends after that, but she hardly saw him once he left the island. Pushing the thoughts away, Gon gave the room one last glance, and moved onto the high-end kitchen. She moved onto the bedrooms. She called the lavender one.

And then she reached the last of the four bedrooms. An aqua color graced the walls, and a large king-sized bed stood in the middle of the room. But it wasn't the color of the walls, or the beautiful view out the window that made Gon linger in the room. It was the fact that a boy-man rested on the beautifully furnished bed. A boy-man with silver hair, and sharp face. He looked skinny, but appeared to be lean and muscular. His eyes were closed, his breathing steady, and Gon made a split-second decision to leave the room. And then they opened. Clear, crisp, navy blue orbs had shot open, and now gazed at her with an unreadable expression written in them.

 _He's awake._

Gon smiled at him, and his brow furrowed in perplexity. What was she smiling about?

"Hi!" she greeted in a warm manner that only confused the young man further.

"Who are you?" he asked, in his usual low voice. His tone would've come off as rude to most people, but this was Gon. And Gon didn't get offended.

"Gon. I'm one of your new roommates," she explained, still grinning. He sized her up in a way that would make most people uncomfortable, but she didn't seem to care. He stood up from the bed, and averted his eyes. Maybe he's shy.

"Killua."

"Kil-lu-a," Gon enunciated, as she always did, and held out her hand for him to shake. "Nice to meet you, Killua."

He looked at her hand, blankly, and Gon walked closer to him. She took his hand in hers, and shook it firmly.

"And now we're friends," she chirped, beaming at him, and he swore that grin could easily blind someone. It was pretty, though, and warm. Something he'd sorely lacked his entire life. And ... wait ... friends?

"Friends?" He asked. Gon nodded, enthusiastically, apparently not noticing they were still holding hands.

"Only if you want, of course," she added, as Mito told her that she should always ask the other person how they feel about something.

Killua only stared at her, so she took that as a yes.

 **Next Chapter:**

 **(Kurapika meets Netty, and catches a glimpse of Chrollo. She**

 **also has a** **philosiphical discussion with Senritsu. I think.** **I'll have to**

 **check my outline. Either way, next chapter will be strongly**

 **Kurapika-centric. So, if you have a problem with my Kura ... too bad**

 **she's the star of the next chapter.)**

 **A/N: Three thousand words. I went above and beyond, and you have no reason to complain. I also rewrote the last three chapters. I'm still sorry for taking so long. I will resume my usual updating schedule. You got a bit of everything in this chapter. Hisoka, Senritsu, KilluGon, slight LeoKura, even Bisuke. All that's missing is everyone's favorite Phantom Troupe Leader. And Netty.**

 **Question of the Day: How do you like Senritsu and Hisoka?**

 **Replies To My Pretty Dearies:**

 **Guest (ch 2): I'm glad you like Kurapika. She's my favorite to write as well, since she and I have the most in common. She kind of writes herself, like the boss she is. LeoKura is cute, and thinking back on it, Igonia is kind of like their adopted child. Man, why do I have to make their relationship so likeable. I'm also adding the LeoKuraKuro love triangle. Mostly, because even I don't know who to choose at the moment. Chrollo does play a large role in Kura's past, but he wasn't the one who killed the Kurta Clan. Not only would that be incredibly hard to write, but also incredibly out-of-character for my version of Kurapika. I'm glad someone likes my awesomely horrid jokes. Anyway, thanks for reviewing. Keep up the good work! ;)**

 **Guest #2 (ch 3): One vote for Chrollo. It was going to be an uphill slope for him, anyway. Now it's more of a steep mountain of doom.**

 **Guest (ch 3): Nostrades do play a small role in this story. Hisoka's going to be the creepiest creep in town, but don't worry, Gon has Killua on her side now. Funny Hisoka-Big Four scenes are coming, but I wanted to introduce him as a threatening entity first. Kurapika X Happiness will be a thing, probably, but first she must go through all the horrible things I throw at her, mwahahahahahahaha! And her past will explode your brainy parts. And LeoKura are so cute, and keep getting in Chrollo's on my outline. It's hilarious. And thank you for all your kind words. You are official best reviewee of the day, month. Here, have this chapter as a tribute to your incredible support. And KilluGon FTW!**

 **MutteringsofMadness (ch 3): Cute until it turns into a warzone. Just like the original series. Here's some Killua for you. I'm glad you think I transferred the characters well. It's one of the hardest parts about writing AU fanfiction. You need to make their situations believable. Another point for Fem!Kurapika. I'm so glad you guys are liking her, and I hope you continue to.**

 **Thank you to all who have read my story thus far. You are all amazing people, and I love you all. You know, as much as you could love kind words on a screen.**


	5. In Which Kurapika Hates Chrollo

**Disclaimer of Awesome:**

 **Me: *Clears throat loudly* I do not own Hunter x Hunter as of yet. Operation Steal-The-Rights didn't go according to plan, and we were unfortunately thrown out of HQ.**

 **Crowd of Maris: *Groan in disappointment***

 **Me: Fear not, my friends. We will get there eventually, but for now I must put the entire operation on hiatus. There has been some progress. We have managed to steal a bit of Soredemo Sekai Wa Utsukushii characters. Namely Livius and Nike. We will return soon, and this time we'll be ready.**

 **Chrollo: Move on, Mari!**

 **Me: NEVER! Wait. What are you doing here? The chapter hasn't even started yet?**

 **Chrollo: I've never been good at following rules.**

 **A/N: Some notes. Pairo is an orphan who unofficially lived with Kurapika and her family. They've known each other since they were little. He was her best friend, and he was still the reason she got to leave the village. If you don't understand, look up Pairo on the internet, and his connection to the whole thing. I also stole a few names from** _ **Soredemo Sekai Wa Utsukushii**_ **. I'm hoping that's okay. They don't really play much of a role. Kurapika's real name is Kurapika Lemercier, because I find it more Kurapika-like than Ifrikia. She's always looked kinda French.**

 **Chapter 4: In Which Kurapika Really Hates Chrollo, But Not Really**

"Gon!" Kurapika called, as she walked through the brightly lit corridor. Paintings adorned the red flower-print wall, and gold armed sconces hung of their wooden backplates in elegant glory. They reminded her of the sconces in the Kurta mansion back in Lukso Province. It had been a leftover from the era before the Kurta clan had become an endangered race. They had kept it as a memorial, and Pairo used to drag her up there to explore the numerous abandoned rooms. They even slept over a few times. Then they would get yelled at the next day by her worried parents. Kurapika smiled bitterly at the memory. If she had known back then what she knows now, she would've cherished those moments. She would have carved every last detail into her mind, because right now those memories were fading. Every day, she felt some old recollection disappear. Even their faces had grown blurred, and no matter how hard she tried to hold on to them, her grip kept slipping. But she couldn't forget. She wouldn't.

Her somber black eyes landed on a grand platinum-framed portrait of a beautiful woman. The Kurta froze, and if one only closed in on her dark iris, they would be able to see a faint, stunning, underlying scarlet.

A color the woman's eyes reflected back at her.

The woman in the portrait was a member of the Kurta clan. A familiar one at that. Kurapika backed away from the painting in shock. Her face a deathly shade of wide, and her face contorted. Be it in shock, or pain, or fear, or a mixture of all three. Thoughts darted across her mind like lightning, but one stood up from the rest: they knew. They knew everything. It was too much of a coincidence that a portrait of her great-great grandmother, Nike Lemercier, would be hung in the corridor of their personal suite. She skimmed the portrait again. Braided strawberry blond hair, red eyes, the ornate clothes, the smile. Her eyes flicked to the bottom left corner; _Livius Orvinus Ifrikia_ was inked onto the canvas in neat cursive. Just like it had been in the mansion. Back in her great-great grandfather's old office where it had been painted and hung by him. What was it doing here?

"Kurapika, are you okay?" Gon's usually bubbly voice asked, noticeably concerned.

Kurapika turned abruptly to Gon. "What?"

"Are you okay, Kurapika?" The amber-eyed girl repeated.

Realization settled in, suddenly, "H-hai."

Gon seemed unconvinced, but let it go for now. Mito always told her that others will open up when they're ready to, and that that is okay. Some people just need a little more time. She nodded, and turned her head towards the portrait. A beautiful young woman dressed in a white and gold gown smiled radiantly at her. Reddish gold locks were braided into intricate designs on top of her head. Two strands of her hair fell across her face creating a demure aura that Gon could easily see through. The woman was no princess, and if she was, she'd be a princess of war. Her scarlet eyes only amplified the effect to the tenth degree.

"She seems like a nice lady," Gon said, her usual perkiness returning.

"She was."

Gon turned to the girl in confusion. Did Kurapika know the pretty woman? Gon tilted her head to the side, eyes flitting back and forth between Kurapika and the woman. They did look similar. They both had straight hair and bangs, and their chins seemed remarkably similar. Their eyes seemed almost identical, albeit their eye colors were different.

"I mean," Kurapika amended, as she ripped her eyes away from the portrait. "She looks like she might've been."

"Ne, Kurapika?"

"Hmmm?"

"Why are you keeping your past from me?" Gon finally asked, as she met Kurapika's eyes with incredible intensity. She didn't mind Kurapika wanting to keep her past to herself, but she didn't want her to think that she'd look at her any differently if she told her. She didn't want to make Kurapika lie to her.

"Does it have anything to do with why you moved to the city, even though you hate it?" Gon asked, and took Kurapika's silence as confirmation. "Well, whatever it is, I don't mind if you keep it to yourself. Just don't feel like you have to lie to me about it. Lies only keep you down."

Kurapika looked at her younger friend in astonishment. "That is. . . surprisingly mature of you, Gon."

"What's that supposed to mean," Gon whined, but her voice contained laughter.

"It means I'm impressed."

Gon suddenly clasped her hands together, as if she had just remembered something, "Killua."

"Killua?" Kurapika asked in confusion.

Gon nodded. "He's our roommate. He's really nice once you get to know him."

And for the second time that day, Kurapika was pulled out of a corridor by an overly-hyper little green-haired girl.

If Killua Zoldyck knew anything, it was that he enjoyed this new concept of naps. Thankfully, that wasn't the only thing he knew. Unfortunately, one of the other things he knew was that the pretty, but loud, young woman seemed intent on keeping him awake. She was proving to be even more effective than the electrical shocks he received as a child when he nodded off during practice. Sure, she'd only woken him up once, but that had been one time too many.

"Killua!"

He sighed. Speak of the devil.

"I'm pretty sure it's basic etiquette that you should let a person sleep no matter what the emergency is," he drawled in his low voice, his tone barely above a whisper, as he pretended to still be asleep. He refused to look at the girl. He had learned the last time he looked into those beauti- _deceptive_ golden orbs, that he could not be trusted when he is under this girl's influence. His judgement became fuzzy, and that apparently lead him to agreeing to odd requests such as becoming friends with someone he just met.

"But you're awake," Gon stated, innocently. She walked closer to the bed, and he abruptly stiffened. What was she planning? His question found its answer, when he felt a slight pressure on the other side of his bed. He nearly jumped out of the bed in surprise.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he asked, as he gazed down at the girl who had somehow thought it was a good idea to invade an assassin's personal space.

"I want you to meet someone." Their eyes met, and Killua cursed himself. He was pathetic. Was this a side-effect of not being an assassin? Was he becoming _normal_? Maybe he should go back? If staying meant turning into putty every time this girl looked at him with that determined look in her eyes, going back might be the best thing for him.

"Who is it?" Killua asked, as he silently berated himself for being the bloody idiot he is. Their eyes were still locked, and Gon's face seemed to be growing increasingly closer and closer. Or was that just him? Silence seemed to engulf them for a few seconds, and then . . .

"Her name is Kurapika."

THAT TELLS HIM NOTHING!

Kurapika turned around at the sound of Gon's pearly voice calling out to her. She had been forced to wait outside, since 'Killua' seemed to be an incredibly volatile person when woken up from his nap. Which is why Kurapika had a few doubts and concerns for Gon's well being when she left her outside the red door. Not only that, but she had the oddest sensation that she's heard of this 'Killua' before. She just couldn't place it. Then she saw a messy-looking, grumpy teen with silver hair standing next to Gon, and the dots seemed to connect themselves.

A Zoldyck.

"Kurapika, this is Killua. Killua, this is Kurapika." The two stoic teens stared at each other, neither letting any potentially hidden emotions slip through their masks.

Gon simply looked between the two, oblivious to the tension in the air. "Well, I'm gonna go find Leorio."

And the green-haired girl all but skipped away from them, and suddenly they found themselves alone. Alone in the deafening silence in a corridor with a portrait of Kurapika's grandmother hanging on it.

"You're a Zoldyck." Kurapika decided to break the heavy silence, and the tension seemed to shatter with it. Killua looked away, as if ashamed of the name.

"Yeah, what of it?" he asked, almost defensively, as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Kurapika would've laughed. The position of teenage angst and rebellion. She remembered her own rebellious stage vividly. Of course, the cold atmosphere held no room for humor.

"Nothing," Kurapika started. She held no grudge against the Zoldycks, even though she disliked their line of work. "You're an assassin."

"Technically."

"Technically?" she asked, as one elegant eyebrow rose in skepticism. After all, how could one 'technically' be an assassin.

"I decided to get rid of the whole assassin deal," he said, eyes still cast away from the Kurta. Unfortunately for him, the blonde woman had always been an expert at guessing other people's circumstances. Especially when the other person was running from something. Takes one to know one.

"You ran away, didn't you." As usual, the Kurta voiced her assumptions out as a statement. Not a question. Perhaps, she was a bit over-confident in her presumptions.

"I . . . wouldn't say that," he mumbled, as he shifted his position, clearly uncomfortable under the woman's calculating gaze. He silently hoped Gon would come back soon, and save him from the scary blonde woman. Not that he needed saving, or anything.

"Well, welcome to the group. If it helps, Gon really does look at you as a friend," Kurapika reassured, and smirked when the teen's cerulean eyes met her dark ones in shock. Poor guy probably grew up without any real friends.

"Tsk," Killua muttered, as a small blush climbed up his normally pale cheeks. Kurapika bit her lip to keep from chuckling at the boy. It was probably his first crush as well. He undoubtedly had little to no experience with such feelings, and would most likely try to deny it at first. Romance was probably the last thing on Gon's mind as well. Kurapika's smile grew. This was gonna be fun to watch. Especially for a secret romantic like her. Speaking of secret.

An idea suddenly flashed across Kurapika's racing mind. "Ne, can I ask you for a small favor?"

Killua tilted his head to the side, as a cue for her to go on. The boy instantly regretted the decision. He really should stop listening to his roommates.

Kurapika hurried along the halls, a map of the school in her hands. She would have to thank Senritsu for leaving the small paper flyers on the kitchen table. Right after she thanks Killua for agreeing to distract her friends while she went out to deal with the mystery of their admission letters. A bit of her previous suspicion had already been erased, thankfully. She was certain the Genei Ryodan had nothing to do with this, but she still found it odd. Either way, they knew about her, and probably Killua as well. She needed to uncover their intentions, at the very least.

Her black eyes turned up to the large red sign with gold letters that hung above the large, black door. _The Admissions and Recruits Office._ That was easy. She had been expecting the office to be in some hidden corridor, or something, but she supposed placing an Admissions Office next to the entrance made more sense.

Kurapika shook her head, and turned the silver knob, as she mustered her most innocent-sounding voice and uttered a small "Hello?"

An old woman with a hunchback and long, greying hair tied back in a bun sat in front of three different slick computer screens. Her hands flew across the keyboard in a thoughtless dance. She sported clothing that reminded Kurapika of the traditional dress of a far off island country called Jappon. She had only ever heard of their clothes in books, but the old lady's purple kimono certainly fit the description. At least she thought it was called a kimono. It had been a long time since she'd read about foreign countries. Perhaps she should go to that library after this. After all, they were free books, and the prospect of her leaving any time soon seemed completely out of the question. She might as well enjoy herself.

"How may I help you?" the old woman asked in her croaking voice, as she grabbed a wooden cane from behind her and walked out of her small, circular mini-office. She leaned against the bluish walls in an attempt to balance herself.

"I'd like to see the head of the admissions department," Kurapika explained, as she looked down at the short old woman.

"Why?" The old woman asked, as she continued to trek closer to the blonde Kurta.

"I'd like to ask them a few questions," Kurapika replied, and accepted the older woman's penetrating glare unflinchingly.

"We're not accepting any reporters today, young lady. Please take all grievances to the Main Office." The old woman briskly turned away, and Kurapika looked at her incredulously.

Weren't old women supposed to be kindly, aged souls? She shook her head, perhaps she just misunderstood. "I'm a student."

"Please take all grievances to the Main Office," the old woman repeated in a bored tone, as she sat back down on her swivel chair.

Kurapika opened her mouth to reason with the old woman, but then laughter cut her off. She swirled around towards the noise, and saw a pair of twins behind her. A few masked faces popped out behind them in curiosity. The old woman rolled her eyes at them, and continued typing something on the hi-tech computers.

The woman of the pair walked forward. "Don't be so harsh, Baa-san."

"Yes, we're here to help students. It's our job to guide them, and answer all their inquiries," the man added, as he stepped forward.

"Don't call me Baa-san, or I will call your parents. Now, get back to work, You too, masked ones," the old woman snapped, and the two shrugged in defeat.

"You're the boss. C'mon guys. She's a grump today." And the two disappeared with the dozens of masked ones following in their footsteps. A few of them turning around a few times in interest. The old woman's age-old eyes returned to Kurapika.

"What are you still doing here? Out. Out, out, out." She really was a grump, but Kurapika stood her ground. It would take more than a little negativity to get her to back down, and the old woman knew that. Unfortunately for Kurapika, the Quizzing Lady was just as stubborn. The two stared blankly at each other, as a cold aura of hostility fell on them.

"Baa-san, are you bullying the students again?" a baritone voice spoke, slicing through the tense atmosphere like a verbal knife. His clacking footsteps came closer, and soon Kurapika heard their owner come to a stop next to her. She inclined her head to get a good look at the newcomer.

He had a bandage wrapped around his head, Kurapika noted. He was handsome, she'll admit. His black hair split into two halves in the middle of his forehead in a way that oddly suited him. He wore a black suit and trousers, and matching dress shoes. His dress style similar to Leorio's, except _he_ actually pulled it off. Kurapika's eyes turned upward again, and their eyes met. Black on grey, and Kurapika recognized them. She could swear she had never met the man before, but something inside of her seemed to have other ideas. She pulled her eyes away with much more difficulty than there should've been, and faced the woman, listening quietly to the man's proposition for the old lady.

"How about you give her a riddle, Baa-san?" he suggested in a charismatic voice. "If she guesses right, she'll pass, and I'll take her to Netero."

"Netero? Isaac Netero?" Kurapika asked, incredulously. Did that man have a grip on everything Hunter related?

"He looks through the applications," the man explained without even glancing at her. Which Kurapika thought a bit rude, but decided to let it go. She looked expectantly at the woman.

The old woman sighed. "Fine."

Kurapika readied herself.

"Imagine you are on a cliff, and your son and daughter are both hanging on to dear life at the edge. If you can only save one. Who will you save?" the old woman asked, cryptically.

Kurapika's mind instantly kicked into high gear, as she tried to find a suitable answer for the abstruse question. Son or daughter? Can only save one? How can one expect somebody to choose between the lives of their loved ones? Who is to say that one is more valuable than the other? Is one more valuable than the other? Hardly. Especially to a loving mother. A mother wouldn't be able to choose between the equally threatened lives of her children. There was no right answer. A life would still be lost in the end, and that is hardly the preferred outcome. There couldn't be one.

Oh.

It suddenly dawned on her. Silence. When no right answer can be found, the only other option is to stay silent. Because you can't judge another person's worth. At least not hypothetically.

"Silence," she responded, confidently, as she gazed at the old woman who actually cracked a smile.

"Well done," the old woman said, a hint of pride in her creaky voice. "Chrollo, take her to the president's office."

"Gladly," he said, and walked towards the door. He opened it for Kurapika, and she swiftly followed after bidding the old lady goodbye. She waited a second for him, as he and the woman exchanged a few words.

"Chrollo?" She drawled, clearly waiting for him to tack on a last name. The name felt incredibly familiar for whatever reason, even though she was still certain they've never met each other.

"Lucilfer," he answered.

"Like lucifer?" she asked, incredulously.

"My parents had an odd sense of humor," he replied, and she could almost sense a slightly bitter tone underneath the standard charisma.

"I doubt your parents decided what your last name will be," Kurapika reminded.

"Mine had no intention of letting me have theirs, I assure you." He meant it as a quip, but Kurapika somehow felt there was more truth to that statement than he let on.

"Where are we going?" Kurapika asked in an attempt to change the subject, as she realized that the map of the school had been forgotten on the office desk. She tried to ascertain where she was being led to. They seemed to be in the Art department at the moment going by the familiar smell of paint. The Kurta welcomed the smell with open arms. Painting had always calmed her down. Her favorite pastime as child, and an oddly efficient money maker in the present. Though, her fondness for the activity hadn't faded, the fact that she used it to make money sucked out a little of the fun. The smell lingered even when they wandered into the English Department. Or, at least, she assumed it was the English Department. Books lied in rows against the walls in each classroom, and the smell of parchment paper mingled with that of the paint. She gazed at the books longingly. They had only a limited collection of books in their apartment, and Kurapika sorely missed the expansive library back in the village.

"Like books?" Chrollo asked, as he slowed down slightly so she could admire her surroundings.

"Hai," Kurapika replied, as she walked through the hall, seemingly starstruck. There were so many of them, and the rooms looked so well cared for, and . . . and . . . she didn't even care what their intentions were anymore. This place was amazing.

Chrollo chuckled at her child-like expression. "You should see the library."

"The one outside?" Kurapika asked, looking at him with starry eyes. A side effect of the books, no doubt.

"Both."

"Both!"

Chrollo laughed again, and Kurapika blushed as she realized how unchecked her emotions had become. She averted her eyes, and glued them to the floor. The books taunted her. And he was far too composed. She wasn't used to being around other calm people. Between Gon and Leorio, she seems to have forgotten what it's like to have a normal conversation with someone. One without bickering or arguing. Apparently Gon had rubbed off on her. Thank God, she hadn't caught any of Leorio's unfortunate habits.

Wait a minute. He never answered her question.

"Where are we going?" she asked again.

"To the principal's office."

"Yeah. I know. Where is that?" she rephrased.

"On the last floor," he said, as they rounded another corner. An elevator came into view, and Kurapika froze. Chrollo looked at her in inquiry, but Kurapika ignored him. She did not have a good history with elevators. Last time she went on one, well, it didn't end on a good note. Kurapika took a step back, as she tried to unsuccessfully hide her obvious fear.

"Can we take the stairs?" she inquired in an oddly high voice.

"There are no stairs," he replied, apparently finding her discomfort extremely amusing. His slight smile had turned into a crooked grin, and she grimaced at his insensitivity.

"You know, I'm fine with not going today, so I'm just gonna leave." She made to retreat, but Chrollo grabbed her wrist gently. Can you grab someone's wrist gently? Apparently.

He pulled her to the elevator door, and pressed a few buttons, as she attempted to free herself. Her efforts seemed futile, and she soon found herself in the small compartment with the strange man. She noted, with relief, that the elevator was seemed new. Their chances of falling down to their violent deaths decreased by about sixteen percent. The walls seemed sturdy. They also seemed to be made of some kind of silver metal. Please let it be steel. The doors started to shut, and she attempted to run away one more time. They closed, and Kurapika looked on helplessly as her only hope for escape faded.

That's it. She hated him.

Then the elevator started moving, and Kurapika let out an involuntary squeal. She grabbed onto her captor's arm, and looked at the ascending floor nervously. No one watching would say she hated him, but when your life's in mortal danger, even your worst enemy can turn into your best friend.

"Calm down," he whispered, as he attempted to peel her fingers off. Claws, really. They bit into his arms in a similar way, and Kurapika subconsciously knew this. And you know what? She didn't care. That bastard deserved to have his arm ripped off.

"What part of my horrified expression made you think I'd be calm about this?" she squeaked. Her grip on his arm tightened, as the elevator slowed down.

"Well, I suppose we have to start somewhere," he muttered, as he rolled his eyes upwards.

"Start?"

"Conquering your fear of elevators," he answered, simply.

Kurapika stared at him, incredulously. "I don't want to conquer it! I'm fine with being scared. It's self-preservation."

"It's ridiculous," he retorted.

Kurapika gaped at him, "Do you know how many people die in elevators each year?"

"Yes, around twenty six. Do you know how many people die crossing the street every year?"

"That's unrelated," Kurapika protested. She didn't even realize their faces seemed to be mere inches away from each other. All she cared about was winning this argument.

Chrollo smirked. "4500, approximately. How many times do you cross the street, my dear Kurapika?"

The girl averted her eyes from him in irritation. She had no idea why her anger seemed to be getting the best of her, but something about the man threw her over the edge.

"Exactly. Now. Please, before your well-manicured nails take my arm off." Chrollo felt Kurapika loosen her grip slightly.

"Fine." She crossed her arms, and pouted. Then the elevator bounced slightly as they reached their destination, and she gripped his arm again. "What was that?"

"We're here." The elevator doors opened, and Kurapika dashed out of the compartment. Chrollo followed her out, albeit more calmly.

"There we go. That wasn't so bad, was it?" he asked, that infuriatingly gorgeous smile still on his face.

Kurapika glared daggers at him, as she hugged herself in an attempt to squeeze out the traumatic experience. "Next time, we're taking the stairs."

"I already told you, there are no stairs," Chrollo reminded, as he caught up to her. Which he did in an annoyingly short amount of time. Why were his paces so much longer? A part of her unnecessarily answered, in an annoying voice she often used when relaying facts, _because his legs are in perfect proportion to his body when it comes to speed._

"Shut up, Kura," she muttered to herself.

"What?" Chrollo asked, and Kurapika instantly stiffened.

"Nothing!" she called, and quickened her pace. Chrollo caught up with her, again, with little effort on his part. "And that's just another thing to bring up to the President."

A few seconds later, he grabbed her arm again, and pulled her towards him. His eyes focused on the mahogany door in front of him. It had the imprint cherry blossom branches engraved on it. Hand carved by a sculptor hunter. A gold plaque with black letters informed everyone and anyone of its owner's identity. _Isaac Netero, President and Everything Hunter._ Can you be an everything hunter? Yes, yes you can. Well, Netero can, but he can do most things, so this shouldn;t be much of a surprise.

"What are you?!"

He pointed at the door.

"Oh. Wait, where are you going?"

He waved his hand in a sort of goodbye. "I agreed to take you up here. The rest is up to you."

Of course he would do that. It's Chrollo Lucilfer. Clearly, his personality is in the name. She really hated him. And not because he left her in front of the door of the most influential person in the world. He hates him, because he had the personality of a spider. A spider. Something clicked in her brain, but she ignored it. She still had to talk to the president.

She sighed, and knocked on the door three times. Next thing she knew, the door creaked open, seemingly all by itself.

Here goes nothing.

Another realization flashed through her mind, as she moved past the threshold.

How the hell did that bastard know her name?

 **Next Chapter:**

 **Kurapika speaks to Netty. Has a philosophical conversation with Sentitsu, and decides she realllyreallyreallyreallyreally hates Chrollo. Who knows why. . . I do. I know why. And you will too. When I'm done writing it.**

 **A/N: This got really long, really quickly, and it's also unedited. So I've split it up into two chappies. Yay. It wasn't as Kura-centric as I thought. You really got a bit of everything in this chapter. Ship-wise. Killugon, and KuroKura. No LeoPika unfortunately, but this KuroKura's time to shine. Kurapika was a little out of character this time. Mostly because Chrollo has an odd effect on her. He makes her act impulsively. She's kind of a kid with him. Which is actually pretty accurate, since he is twenty six. And she's eighteen. And elevators make her nervous.**

 **~Replies To My Pretty Dearies~**

 **Jonica77 (ch 3): Sorry for not replying earlier, but thank you for the review. And for your kind words.**

 **Guest (ch 4): I update every week. Thanks for the reply.**

 **Guest #2 (ch 4): I'm glad you like it so far. It's all I can ask for. And I'm sure there's a ton of other people with better stories, but thank you for the compliment. You make me blush. KilluGon will be the cutest thing ever, and don't give up on Chrollo. He loves Kurapika just as much as Leorio. I am also glad you that you think I intertwined canon and AU vibes well. Your reviews make me smile. I'll also pass the award on to Kurapika. I'm sure she'll appreciate it.**

 **Guest #3 (ch 1): It would be disappointing if the first one was better than the second. And yes, all Freecss girls chase after Ging, romantically or otherwise. And Kura and Chrollo have met before.**

 **Guest #4 (ch 3): I'm hoping you give Chrollo a chance. We must give both Leo and Chrollo a shot at Kura's heart. As always, thanks for reviewing.**

 **As always, thank you to all who have reviewed, and read, and favorited, and followed. All that fun stuff.**


	6. Let's Talk About Kurapika's Future

**Disclaimer:**

 **Me: Togashi is currently disabled. This is the day, my peeps. This is the day we steal Hunter x Hun -**

 **Security: Oi, I thought we told you guys to stay off the premises!**

 **Me *mutters under breath*: Curses, how did they find us?**

 **Mari #3: Maybe it's the fact that you're standing on the bench right in front of their main office, and yelling really loudly.**

 **Me: Mari #2, what did we say about speaking out of turn?**

 **Mari #3: I'm number three, highness.**

 **Me: Well . . . now you're number two.**

 **Maris #4 and #5: Permission to retreat, commander.**

 **Me: *sighs* permission granted**

 **Security guard: And stay out!**

 **A/N: Kurapika's clan was killed by the Phantom Troupe, but Chrollo had no part in it. It will be elaborated on eventually. Not anytime soon, though. Also, the media has never been able to snag a photo of Netero, and therefore, Kurapika didn't know who he was. I also made the Kurta Clan a race instead of a family. Meaning that Kurapika's last name is not Kurta in this fic.**

 **Chapter 6: Senritsu and Netty Talk About Kurapika's Future**

The door slammed shut behind the blond Kurta. She jumped at the loud slam which protruded from the impact of wood on wood. Her guard was still up, and her senses still sharp which meant her reflexes would also be acting up. She felt a strange sense of deja vu as she walked away from the apparently possessed door, and down the dark corridor. The walls were made of an odd material she had never seen, but had heard of on certain occasions. It gleamed a warm golden color in the dim light of the torches. The floors were made of a more familiar substance; polished wood. It looked like oak, but Kurapika couldn't be sure.

The girl turned her head up at the painted sky on the ceiling. Whoever designed this place had been gifted with quite a talent. The details were impeccable. You could barely tell it apart from a real sky. The colors merged naturally, and each structure had been given the most utmost care. Every cloud, every bird, every miniscule ray of sunlight. Kurapika felt herself caught up in a trance, but then footsteps promptly brought her back down to earth.

Her eyes fell upon a chubby, red-haired woman in a black suit. A bored expression graced her plump, tanned face. Her green eyes sparkled with wisdom and experience under her red fringe. The clicking of her black flats neared Kurapika, and suddenly the woman came to a stop in front of the tall blond. A mini staring contest transpired between the two woman for a few seconds, both of them waiting for the other to speak.

"Kurapika Calin?" she asked, expectantly.

Kurapika grimaced, but nodded nonetheless. How come everyone seemed to know who she was?

"The principal's been waiting for you." The clicking of heels continued, but this time they were growing increasingly further away from the dark-eyed teen. Kurapika quickly caught up with her, relieved to be the faster one again. Her experience with Chrollo had been other worldly in that sense. It was one of the many reasons she hated the man with a burning passion.

"He has?" she asked. Not that she was surprised. Isaac Netero had all the power in the world. The Kurta would be surprised if he didn't have some kind of sixth sense that helps him predict the future.

"Indeed. He's very excited to meet you."

Kurapika stiffened at that comment. Excited? Why? What was he planning? How did it relate to her? Why did it relate to her? A thousand questions swamped her poor brain once more, all of which revolved around that small, insignificant word. She hadn't even noticed that Hotaru had stopped walking until she almost bumped into her. They were standing in front of a gold door engraved with odd silver designs akin to those the Kurta had seen in books about Ancient Runes. The scene felt eerily similar to the one she had gone through with Chrollo a few minutes prior.

"He's just inside," The woman informed, as she waltzed over to another door. This one seemed far less extravagant, and Kurapika surmised that it must be the woman's office.

The blond felt it necessary to say something, a farewell perhaps, and as per usual Kurapika saw no reason to not speak her mind. "Thank you."

"Hotaru," the woman muttered, as she unlocked the door. Oddly enough, the woman held no key, nor card.

Kurapika briefly wondered how that could be, but quickly pushed it aside. She gave the woman a small smile, noticing the woman seemed a bit awkward. "Hotaru, it is."

Hotaru then disappeared through the threshold, and Kurapika was left abandoned on the doorstep of the most influential man in the world . . . again. How does this keep happening to her?

For the second time that day, Kurapika held her breath as she turned a golden door knob. Why was she holding her breath? She didn't know exactly why, but she knew that for whatever reason, she felt nervous walking into the office.

Perhaps this was what it was like being sent to the principal's office.

Blinding light attacked Kurapika's precious eyes, and she took a second, letting them adjust to the overwhelming brightness. The walls, she realized, had been entirely constructed with glass. The floor, thankfully, didn't share this trait. It seemed to made of the same material as the walls in the corridor. A bunch of sofas and tables lay scattered around the large room. Under her feet, a velvety red carpet spread out across the floor. There was even a full-blown workout station in the corner; complete with a treadmill and some sort of odd set of weights. Kurapika wondered how much lives they could save with the money that goes into buying that station alone, nevermind the entire room.

"Welcome to my humble abode," a cheerful voice chirped, and Kurapika instantly placed it. The slight creakiness, the warmth, the cheer.

"Uncle Netty?" she asked in bewilderment, as she whirled around towards the voice. And there he was, in the flesh, whole and well. Standing in his usual confident pose, a wide grin on his face and an odd ponytail growing out of his head.

"Yo."

The Kurta didn't even have time to process her next actions, and if she had . . . she probably would've done the same thing anyway. After all, what else can one do when they've been reunited with the only other person who knows who they truly are? They hug them.

Kurapika heard the man chuckle, as he returned her embrace. She simply responded by hugging him tighter. She had missed him. His laugh, his fatherly love, his lessons. Heck, she even missed his aggravating pranks. But most of all, she missed having a connection to the Kurta Clan. Everything had been destroyed when the Phantom Troupe massacred her entire race. The only remnants being her clothes, which she had taken with her, and her mother's locket, which Kurapika had been given to ensure a safe journey back home. Turned out, they needed it more than she did.

But now. Uncle Netero was alive. Sure, he didn't have the Scarlet Eyes of the Kurta Clan, but he was still a Kurta. Not only that, but she no longer had to keep the secret of the Kurta Clan locked up inside. The secret every Kurta Clan member swears to never tell an outsider. That included friends. No matter how loyal those friends seemed to be. After all, things change when those friends realize that the red eyes aren't just an accessory. They served a much bigger purpose.

"You've covered them up," Netero said, as he pulled away from the teen, so he could get a good look at her.

Kurapika nodded, a bit ashamed of the fact that she hid the Kurta Clan's eyes, but it was the best option. A group of treasure hunters had found them once, because she refused to wear the black contacts Pairo had created for her back when he was alive. She couldn't ignore the dangers those eyes posed after Leorio took a bullet for her. Not unless she was willing to let one of them get killed one day.

Netero lightly hit her head, as he often had when scolding her. "No brooding. Tears get you nothing but pity, my dear. Now, tell me everything that's happened since you left the Kurta Clan."

And she did. Because this was Netero, and she trusted him completely despite his irritating sadistically playful nature. From the moment she left that Kurta Clan to the day she came to his academy. She finally finished telling him about Killua's adorable potential crush on Gon (a fact that seemed to amuse the man quite a lot) when another question crossed her mind.

"Ne, uncle, who's Chrollo?" she finally inquired.

"Chrollo?" he asked, seemingly puzzled by the question.

Kurapika's mind suddenly jumped to the worst-case scenario; Chrollo Lucilfer was a spider and he had infiltrated the academy because he wanted to kill her and gouge out the last pair Scarlet Eyes. Not the most likely scenario, but definitely the worst.

"You don't know him?" Her voice sounded anxious.

Netero seemed to notice this, since he put his hands up in a calming gesture. "No, no. Nothing like that. I just didn't expect him to approach you so soon."

The last sentence was clearly not meant for her ears, as he didn't even attempt to elaborate when she asked about it. He simply brushed it off, and changed the subject. That was when the conversation started going downhill.

"In your application, you said you wanted to hunt down the Spiders," he pried, as he sat down on a desk cross-legged.

"And?" Kurapika drawled, her voice taking on a defensive tone.

"Is that still your goal in life?"

"I'm not so fickle that I simply change life goals on a day-to-day basis," Kurapika snapped. She did not like where this conversation was heading. There's never been a talk this that didn't lead to some bones breaking. Not that she would ever hurt Netero. Not that she ever could. The man was made of steel, or something.

"Let me rephrase the question; is that really your goal in life?" Bad move.

Kurapika narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her, and if she hadn't been wearing contacts, her eyes would likely be blood-red by now. "Yes."

Netero sighed, "I don't suppose you could find a new one?"

Kurapika's glare turned murderous, and if Netero was a few decades younger, he would have shivered in fear by now. Scratch that, if he hadn't known the girl's mother he would've been shivering in fear by now. Yuka had always been an energetic, adventurous woman, but when she got mad, well, you better watch out for flying objects followed by angry blondes with deadly auras. Thankfully, Kurapika had also inherited Pirru's calmness.

"No," she simply hissed, despite wanting to spit out several verbal atrocities, and spun around on her heels. She walked towards the door, and reached for the handle, but then her hand froze on the golden knob. She slowly turned back to the old man. "Say, why did you accept us into the school?"

"Pardon?" Netero inquired, genuinely confused.

"It wasn't because you wanted to try to convince me to stop, was it?" she muttered, bitterly, as she crossed her arms across her chest and turned to face him fully.

Netero reluctantly obliged, deciding she had a right to know, "partly."

"How large is that part?" she interrogated. Her voice had gained back its tranquility, but her blood was still boiling _. How dare he bring her friends into this? Just so he could stop her from avenging the Kurta clan; her family, her world, her life._

"At least half," he answered, and the seething blond almost scoffed at his honesty. "I am interested to see how your friends will handle themselves.

This time, Kurapika actually did scoff at his comments. "Oh, yes, that makes me feel loads better. Not only are you trying to brainwash me into believing that my only goal in life is worthless, you've also decided to turn my friends into guinea pigs for your own entertainment." Her voice grew increasingly loud, as her hands fell and curled up into white-knuckled fists.

Netero pouted at her translation. "Well, when you put it like that it makes everything so much worse. Think of it as a test. I'm only checking to see if they're worthy. And brainwashing is such a harsh word, and . . ." He trailed off at the, quite frankly, terrifying sight before him. He'd gone too far.

Kurapika clenched her jaw in an attempt to contain her precariously placed fury. Another word out of the principal's mouth, and she might end up falling over the edge. She averted her eyes, as if forgetting that she was wearing contacts. It had become a habit over the years. It helped her calm down, and right now, she needed to be calm. _She needed to leave._

She gathered her senses, shutting her eyes for a few seconds, only to open them again, and fixed Netero with an icy stare. A small smile graced her face, but a dark shadow remained, clouding her eyes. Her next words fell out by themselves; cold and merciless. "I see. You haven't changed. You're still the playful, sadistic bastard who thought it's be funny to teach a five year old how to play with fire. It's funny that with all your power you still weren't able to save a single other Kurta."

And then she was gone. Disappearing in a flurry of gold and blue, and leaving a somber old man to ponder her words.

She slammed the door with angry fervor, and motioned to walk down the familiar corridor she and Chrollo had walked down. Nothing had changed. The halls were still empty, and the vibrant lights still lit her path. Paintings still hung, and the walls still flaunted the colors of a sunset. She hadn't really taken much notice the first time, but in hindsight, the hallway of the Principal's Office possessed a certain sort of surreality. Kurapika almost smiled at the coincidence. Kurtas had always been known for their love of fantasy. Netero clearly boasted this trait.

Kurapika's mind flitted to all the money that went into the creation of the hallway, and how that money could have been used to alleviate poverty. She grimaced, as she continued walking, the moral implications of the hallway suddenly plaguing her mind. Her thoughts distracted her so well that she didn't even notice passing the raven-haired man leaning cross-armed against the expensive wall.

"It's not nice to blame someone for the death of their race." His baritone voice rang across the hall in an oddly harmonic fashion.

Kurapika wheeled around towards the handsome man. His eyes were closed, and a slight smirk rested on his lips. He was the epitome of confidence, and it irritated her immensely. "You were listening?"

His obsidian eyes flashed open, and his head tilted to the side towards the blond. "Is that a surprise?"

Silence engulfed the two for a few seconds as the blond considered his words. It did seem like something he would do. He seemed to enjoy sticking his nose into other people's business. Still, it struck her as odd that Netero would let him listen him. Unless he didn't know, but that didn't strike her as a Netero-like thing to do. At least, the Netero she knew wouldn't do that. Who was Chrollo, really?

"I'm a psychologist," he said, as if he just read her mind.

Kurapika froze in something akin to shock, and her eyes widened for a fraction of a second. A psychologist. That was so . . . "Normal."

Chrollo's smirk widened. "Disappointed?"

Kurapika rolled her eyes, and continued on her path to the dreaded elevator, ignoring the relief she felt that she won't be riding it alone. Then, a hand circled around her arm and dragged her in the opposite direction. She swore if he dragged her around one more time she would murder him without remorse."Where exactly are you dragging me to this time?"

"The stairs are this way."

Kurapika fell speechless at the answer. Her arms hanging limply as she let him lead her to the stairs, and tried processing the meaning of his reply. _There were stairs._ That meant he just put her through that traumatizing ordeal earlier for no reason.

He chuckled at her expression, "I told you. I'm the school psychologist. It's my job to help you overcome your fears, and let go of negative emotions."

And suddenly it all made sense. Why Netero let him listen, and why he forced her into an elevator despite the fact she was clearly terrified of them. "Are you always so forceful? Aren't you supposed to sit us down, and talk through our problems first?"

"Normally, yes. But you're a special case," he explained while they strolled down to the stairwell.

"Because Netero's a relative?" she asked. He opened the door to the stairwell, and moved aside for her to pass through first. She accepted it wordlessly. So he wasn't a completely contemptible. He seemed to be polite. She recalled that he had let her go into the elevator first as well. Not that it made any difference in her opinion of him. He was still a worm.

"Partly." There's that word again.

She could forgive Netero for giving her cryptic answers since Netero seemed incapable of giving a straightforward solution, but this Chrollo character wouldn't be so lucky. "And the other part? If you don't tell me, I'll just assume the other part is that you're conducting human psychological experiments. That will land you about five years in prison, y'know."

Chrollo just laughed again. "I'm afraid I can't tell you about that. Sorry to disappoint. Besides, I'm quite certain you can't report me without any evidence."

"I can be very convincing," she threatened, as she examined her surroundings for the first time. The staircase spiraled down in a fashion that made her head spin when she took a quick look down. Murals of landscapes had been painted on the walls, and Kurapika briefly wondered how the artist had managed to complete such a feat. The steps were also ridiculously extravagant. A hundred different colors melded to form both the steps and the banister. Every slight change in position or light brought on a new set of brilliant color. It felt almost overwhelming.

"I never said you weren't," he replied, smiling that infuriating grin.

Suddenly, Kurapika's feet slipped on the steps. She quickly reacted in order to regain her balance. Chrollo reacted just as quickly, and wrapped one arm around her waist. She quickly won back her footing. The Kurta gave him a glare, and then a pointed look at his arm which had been around her waist far longer than she would've preferred. He removed his arm swiftly, and the Kurta continued walking down the steps as if nothing had happened. Gliding down the steps like a queen. Typical Kurapika.

Kurapika's grimace deepened. The man had been psychoanalyzing her for the past fifteen minutes. Apparently, the dorms were a lot farther away than she'd thought.

"And your aversion to strangers only goes to show that you experienced some sort of betrayal when you were younger," the man explained, as they walked across the courtyard where the dorms lay. Fresh air, he said. It's good for you, he said. He only took her out here to criticize her life choices and relationships.

Kurapika bit back her stinging comments for the nth time since he started this 'conversation'. She now realized what a fatal mistake it was to attack the man's competency when it came to the field of psychology. They were talking alright. She might've preferred being thrown off a cliff.

"Chrollo," a familiar melodic voice called to the man. The two turned towards the source of the sound; Senritsu.

Kurapika almost let out a sob of relief, as her eyes landed on the kind, deformed woman. _Kami-sama, thank you. I will never doubt you again._

The short woman smiled at the two, and Kurapika could feel the hostility she felt for the man slowly fade. "I think you've had your fun with Miss Calin, and she's certainly enough for one day. How about you leave her to me for the rest of the trip."

Chrollo nodded in respect, and Kurapika almost gaped at the gesture. Perhaps he had a few redeeming qualities.

He cast one last smirk at her, and Kurapika felt her resolution solidify. He was irredeemable. Thankfully, she's had to deal with her share of irredeemable people in the past. She just had to ignore him, and if worse came to worse, Netero was still the principal. She could easily get him fired by pulling a few stings.

She almost slapped herself at the thought. She couldn't do that. Just because she had the power, doesn't mean she should use it. Her parents didn't raise her to be a puppeteer.

"Bye then, Pika-chan," Chrollo sang, as he waved a goodbye at the two women.

Kurapika's eye twitched. On second of thought.

Senritsu chuckled to herself, "I can barely remember the last time he was so lively." The short woman returned her focus to the Kurta with a warm smile and a kind glitter in her somber eyes. "Sorry about Chrollo. He's not as bad as he seems."

"I'm sure," Kurapika said, sarcastically. She placed one hand on her hip, and shifted her weight to her left leg. Her default pose.

Senritsu simply smiled, and not a fake smile which many would favor wearing. It was genuine, and Kurapika couldn't be suspicious of a person who could smile in such a way.

But she could try.

"Walk with me?" Senritsu offered, and pointed to the dorms the lied in the west. Just a few yards couldn't hurt. And Senritsu seemed far more tolerable than Chrollo.

"Okay," Kurapika reluctantly agreed, and the short woman slowly waddled across the courtyard. She sort of reminded Kurapika of the office woman. Perhaps they were related.

They ambled along one of the many cobblestone sidewalks, as Kurapika appreciated the peaceful scenery. An almost unnatural shade of green tinted the grass, and ruby flowers blossomed proudly in the emerald carpet in no particular pattern. Ruby flowers the same color as the Kurta Clan's scarlet eyes. Perhaps, it was a tribute to her dead clansmen. He had allowed them to be killed. This must be his way of apologizing. Flowers. The symbols of hope and life. How ironic.

"You seem troubled."

Not this again. Was her mask slipping, or something? She couldn't imagine why. It wasn't as if she cared that her last living relative was an all-powerful hunter who could've saves the lives of her entire clan. Okay, she cared a lot. That was not the point. The point was that her mask had slipped, and everyone suddenly seemed to know about her troubles.

"Not at all," she finally replied, stoically, as they continued to walk. The glass doors loomed a few feet away, and Kurapika hoped that she would be able to ditch the odd woman before she was forced to listen to another lecture about 'not giving into hate'. Even Chrollo scolded her for it, even though he hadn't even known where all that fury and resentment was coming from. At least, she didn't think so. But, somehow, she got the feeling he knew more than he let on. That feeling made her stomach churn in dread. She didn't like having others know her secrets. It became even more annoying when the other in question was a psychotic psychologist and perfect stranger all in one.

Kurapika grimaced. She really should stop thinking about him. It wasn't good for her brain, and, apparently, her stomach seemed to agree. Annoying bastard. Making her question herself.

' _Focus,'_ she ordered herself.

Senritsu simply smiled at her, "I really should be telling you to let go of your hate, but being a person who once harbored similar feelings I know that is easier said than done. All the advice I can offer you is to forget about it every once in awhile."

Kurapika cast her a confused look. "Forget?" How was that any different from letting it go.

"Only temporarily. Most people are either stuck in the past, or in the future. Very few are grounded in the present, but that's not the best place to be either. Everyone must find a balance."

Kurapika understood. She'd seen both types of people. But she still didn't see where she was going with it. They reached the doors, and Kurapika resolved to stay around out of sheer curiosity. She leaned against one of the columns and closed her eyes, as she often did when thinking.

"A balance?" she prompted as a gesture for the Music Hunter to continue.

"Let the past guide you, not define you. Don't focus on the future so much that you forget how to live. Don't live in the present, and forget that there's a future. When you finally succeed in finding the perfect balance, your heart will be at peace, and you will gain the strength to conquer any foe. Even yourself."

"Myself?" Kurapika asked, skeptically. She would hardly consider herself an enemy.

"I find that since they are your feelings, the only person standing in your way is you. That makes you an obstacle when it comes to finding happiness," Senritsu elaborated with her pointer finger in the air, as if explaining something to a student. Which, in a way, Kurapika was.

"And what is that? My happiness?" Kurapika questioned, once again, out of pure curiosity.

"Freedom."

Kurapika's eyes jolted open. Freedom? From what? The pain? It was hardly something she could free herself from? Perhaps that was why Senritsu had said to forget the past from time to time. So, eventually, she might forget entirely.

But she didn't want to. She couldn't. The prospect of revenge was the only thing keeping her sane. If she forgot about it . . . she didn't know what would become of her.

Thankfully, she didn't have to ponder it for too long. Right at that moment, her raven-haired savior came to her rescue. "Oi, Kurapika. Where were you? I've been looking everywhe . . ." Leorio's piercing voice filled her with such a sense of relief that the blond nearly cried. For the second time that day, Kurapika had been saved by the . . . voice.

"Well, I'll be leaving you two alone," Senritsu said, fixing them with an understanding gaze that only showed them that she didn't understand at all. She then waddled off towards one of the many doors in the area, this one with a large insignia of a musical note on it, and quickly vanished through the door in a similar way to how Hotaru vanished through her door.

Kurapika heaved a grateful sigh, and turned back towards Leorio who looked thoroughly confused.

With a chuckle, Kurapika asked of him one small request; "don't you ever let me go off on my own like that again."

The man's brow furrowed in confusion at the blond's sudden request. "Are you okay, Kurapika?"

After a fleeting silence, Kurapika slowly nodded, as if trying to reassure herself that she was, indeed, fine.

"Good," Leorio started, and Kurapika knew he had a few complaints. "'Cause I'm not. I mean, have you met this Killua kid?"

"Yes," Kurapika replied, as she passed the threshold to the building. Leorio followed her like a child would his mother when he wanted to tell on one of his siblings. Kurapika recognized this move, and braced herself for some first-class whining.

"How could you leave him and Gon alone together? Do you know what a bad influence that kid could be?" Leorio complained. The two started on the first flight of stairs which, thankfully, weren't made of a material that sported a thousand different colors.

Kurapika resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "When I left, Gon had gone after you. I'm assuming you didn't leave anyone to babysit them, did you?"

Leorio opened his mouth, but then promptly closed it. He put a finger to his chin in deliberation. Then, he sighed in defeat.

Kurapika smirked at his discomfort, ignoring the fact that the situation reminded her of a certain infuriating psychologist. "So, in reality, you are the one who left Gon and Killua alone together."

Leorio's lips arranged into a thin line, as he undoubtedly thought of the consequences of leaving their precious Gon in the care of a monster. "Let's go."

The man's pace suddenly picked up, and Kurapika was almost forced to run in an effort to keep up with him. Who knew Leorio would be the fatherly type?

Leorio froze, and Kurapika ran into him. Why are all the people in Kurapika's company stopping unexpectedly today?

"The door's open," Leorio whispered.

Kurapika looked over his shoulder. He was right. The door was wide open. The walked into the room cautiously, and called out Gon and Killua's names.

No one answered.

 **Next Time On NAPP:**

 **Where are Killua and Gon? Who was the strange red-haired man from the entrance hall? Who? What? Why? All and more to be answered next chapter.**

 **A/N: I didn't actually plan on putting Chrollo in this one. He kind of wrote himself in. He really doesn't like following rules. BTW, this is almost 5000 words and 19 pages. When did I start writing substantial chapters? We got a ton of philosophy in this one too, but, let's admit, Kurapika needed that talk. Not that it's gonna stop her from going after the spiders. Another note, no one's ever actually caught the Spiders in action, so there are no pictures of Chrollo and his Troupe. So, there's no way Kurapika could know about Chrollo at the moment.**

 **Replies to my Pretty Dearies:**

 **Guest: I'm pleased to hear you like it so much, and that you find my Chrollo interesting. Also relieved to find that Kurapika being slightly OOC is okay. And I'm blushing! I wouldn't say that it's rocket science, just research. Wikia is a great resource since it sums things easily, so I don't have to rewatch the entire series from start to finish in order to merge the AU with the canon universe. And yes, the other Phantom Troupe members will play a huge role in this story. Especially Machi and Shalnark (they're my favorites for whatever reason). And now you know about Netty's connection to the Kurta Clan. AND it is totally my intention to make KilluGon the cutest thing since . . . beagle puppies.**

 **Guest 2:**

 **Hi again! I don't mind oduble reviews, especially on edited chapters. I'm also impressed you noticed the little details I tweaked. You have a good eye for detail.**


	7. KILLUGON BONDING TIME!

**Disclaimer:**

 **Mari: What do we want?**

 **Other Maris: Hunter x Hunter rights!**

 **Mari: Why do we want it?**

 **Other Maris: So we can rule the HxH universe!**

 **Mari: When do we want it?**

 **Other Maris: Now!**

 **Mari: Then let's go get 'em!**

 **Other Maris: *Cheers***

 **Security: Get off the lawn! One more incident, and we're taking you to prison for real!**

 **A/N: Let's get some ages straight, shall we? I probably should've done this beforehand.**

 **Killua & Gon - 16. Kurapika - 18. Leorio - 19. Chrollo - 26. Hisoka - 28. Netero - 120. Senritsu - 29 (she's disfigured, but I believe her to be quite young). Hotaru - 50.**

 **Chapter 7: KilluGon Bonding Time!**

"Sugoi!" Gon chirped, as she took in her surroundings. She and Killua had evidently wandered into the Dining Hall while exploring the school. That was what the sign said anyway. There was no food, but Gon figured that must be because school hadn't started yet. It certainly looked like a dining room, albeit far more grandiose than any dining room Gon had ever seen. Seven long, wooden, chestnut rectangular tables were vertically placed in rows. At the front of the room two similar rectangular tables met to create a V. Murals adorned the ceiling and walls. When Gon looked up, she found that the ceiling's painting of a starry midnight sky almost seemed to move. The walls held the same quality. It almost seemed like the animals on the walls were running, gliding through the painted forest.

Gon shook her head. Perhaps it was her mind playing tricks on her again.

"It's alright," a calm voice commented from behind her.

Gon turned towards Killua, who was wearing an unimpressed expression on his pale face, and took a few steps closer to him. The silverhead had his weight supported on one leg, and his hands shoved in his pockets. Gon had found that her new friend was fond of that pose, and often reverted to it as a default position. The green-haired girl tilted her head to the side in confusion. Killua didn't seem surprised, or even mildly affected, by the gorgeous room. It almost felt like he was used to this sort of opulence. Sure, she'd pulled him along on her little escapade, but she hadn't expected him to be so stoic the entire time. How odd.

Gon gazed at him intently, as if trying to piece together a particularly mind-boggling puzzle.

Killua shifted uncomfortably under her speculation, "What is it now?"

"Ne, Killua?" Gon started, eyes still wide with curious as she put a finger to her chin. "Are you rich?"

Killua's eyes shot to hers. "Why would you think that?" he asked, his voice coming out far harsher than he'd intended. But in his defense, his family had instilled a sense of paranoia inside him.

Gon's carefree smile morphed into an embarrassed one. She scratched the back of her head, all the while apologizing profusely for putting her nose where it didn't belong. Mito had always told her it wasn't very polite to pry. Especially when it involves the person's past. What happened in the past should stay there. That's why she would never make people answer her questions about it. Not even Kurapika and Killua.

Killua's mouth perked up ever-so-slightly at the display. "Baka, it's fine."

Gon clamped her mouth shut, and sent him a small smile. Sure, Aunt Mito had always told her not to pry, but this could be an exception. She wouldn't interrogate him too much. "So . . . you don't want to tell me?"

Killua suddenly became incredibly interested with a painted grazing deer, as he tried to explain his reluctance, "it's not that. It's just . . ."

The girl moved closer, curiosity obvious in her amber eyes. "Just?"

"Nothing," he said, waving away whatever he was about to say. He gestured to leave, and Gon followed him outside silently. Which was a peculiar thing for Gon to be, but Killua didn't seem to care. So she simply stared at him, as yet another question jumped into her head.

* * *

Killua glanced at the girl walking beside him. She had been staring at him with an unnerving intensity ever since they left the Dining Hall. Gon hadn't even taken in her surroundings. An odd thing since she always seemed so enthralled by them. The hallways they were currently strolling down paled in comparison to the rest of the school, but Gon seemed like a person who would be impressed by the smallest of things. But now, nothing seemed to faze her. Several times, she had narrowly avoided a collision with one of the white walls. He pulled her out of the way every time. He was starting to consider letting her bump into one of them just so she'd pay more attention.

He grabbed her arm once more, and pulled her out of the way of another wall, as they turned another corner. "Are you okay? You keep bumping into things."

"H-hai," Gon stuttered, a small blush climbing up her cheeks. "I was just wondering what kind of thing could happen to me that'd make me want to hide it from others. But . . . I can't seem to think of anyway." Gon finally pulled her amber eyes away from him, her face becoming thoughtful. She was undoubtedly contemplating the question.

She looked kind of . . . cute.

Killua pushed the thought away immediately. Thoughts like that only weakened you. "That's because you never had anything to hide."

Gon looked at him meaningfully. "And you do?"

He rolled his eyes. "I thought you didn't like to pry."

"Yeah, but that's only when I think the other person will be fine without telling me. Or happier," she reasoned, lifting her index finger to make her point.

"Tsk, you're just doing it because you're curious," Killua countered, almost playfully. She'd clearly

"Am not!" Gon protested. She came to a stop with her hands balled into fists at her sides, a determined look in her eye. She wasn't going to let this go, and Killua knew this. In the short few hours he'd known the girl, he's figured out that when she dug in her heels, she might as well be chained down. He halted his stops as well. He'll give her an answer alright.

"Fine, my family is rich," Killua revealed, and averted his eyes.

"And?"

"And that's all I'm going to tell you," Killua said. He continued walking, and heard Gon's footsteps speed up in an attempt to keep up with him.

"How is your family rich?" Gon asked.

"Not telling," he sang.

"What do they do?"

"Definitely not telling."

Gon pouted at him. "Fine. Will you ever tell me?"

"Probably not."

"Is it because you're scared?"

"No. I just don't feel like sharing my life story with a stranger."

"Because you're scared?"

He stopped, and looked her in the eye. "No."

Suddenly, they heard a deep voice sound from behind them, "hohoho, are the lovers getting into their first quarrel already?"

The two teens turned around to see a creepy red-haired man, Gon missing the 'lovers' comment entirely and Killua not caring enough to correct him. The man's eyes were an unnatural shade of yellow, and held a malicious glint that almost sent chills up Killua's spine. A glint akin to lust. A lust for blood. A lust they shared. Killua glared at the man. Anyone with an aura like that is dangerous. Unfortunately, Gon didn't seem to understand this simple concept.

"Oh," Gon said in recognition, as she clapped her hands together. "You're the man from before."

"I am so glad I left an impression," the man said in a faux cheerful voice. He suddenly walked closer to Gon, and held out his hand for her to shake. "My name is Hisoka Morow. It's a pleasure to meet you, _Gon_."

Gon moved to take his hand, but Killua involuntarily grasped it instead. Amber eyes looked up at him quizzically, but Killua's cold, cerulean eyes were still fixed on the red-haired man. There was no way in hell he would let this creep touch Gon.

Hisoka smirked at the two, the glint in his eyes turning into a veil of excitement, and withdrew his own hand. "Seems your boyfriend is quite the possessive one. Be careful, that can lead to jealousy."

Gon obviously felt the need to correct him, and had the nerve to say it with such frankness too. "Oh no. Killua's not my boyfriend. He's just a friend. We barely know each other." She put a finger to her chin, as she processed whatever thoughts had taken her mind. "Actually, we just met each other today. I guess it's a good sign if people think we're so close. It means we'll be friends for a really long time."

Now, Killua had absolutely no feelings whatsoever for the little green haired girl, but her tone still sent an unpleasant feeling through him. Which, again, was completely ridiculous since he had no romantic attraction towards Gon. She was interesting, yes, but she was also loud and liked interrupting his naps. He mentally shook his head of the thoughts. He couldn't let such things distract him.

"I see," Hisoka drawled, and looked her up and down with a creepy look on his face.

Killua frowned, and moved closer to the girl. Hisoka didn't fail to notice this.

He raised his hand as a goodbye to the two teens. "Well, bye now. I'll be seeing you very soon, Gon-chan, Kil-chan."

And then he was gone. Probably off creeping on some other poor unfortunate human beings.

"Killua?" Gon asked.

"Hmm," he hummed in response. He was still fuming over the fact that Hisoka called him Kil-chan. His senses were also on full alert, ready for another sneak attack.

"Could you let go of my hand?" she asked innocently, as she looked down at their intertwined hands.

He quickly withdrew his hand from hers, and muttered a small, "sorry." He felt his face heat up, and desperately hoped Gon didn't notice.

"Gon!" A flustered Leorio suddenly appeared in the brightly lit corridor. The dark-haired man ran to the girl, and pulled her into a bear hug. "I was so worried about you!"

Gon simply chuckled at the older man's overreaction. She pat his back as a sign of reassurance, unaware of the glare he was sending Killua. The silver-haired assassin just returned the look with equal fervor, albeit his was far colder.

Gon remained oblivious to the violent tension between the two men, and instead wiggled out of the hug and skipped over to Kurapika. Well, she didn't precisely skip, but Killua thought she might as well have.

The two men watched as the woman started talking about miscellaneous things. Then, Leorio turned back to Killua with a warning in his eyes, ' _If you did anything stupid, I will murder you slowly.'_ Killua only smirked in return. How ironic. A doctor threatening a deadly assassin with murder. Of course, this only served to anger the man further. Leorio turned around to join Kurapika and Gon, but not before pointing to his green eyes and then to Killua in an obvious _I'm-watching-you-like-a-hawk-with-paranoia_ fashion. Gon started talking his ears of as well, and the three of them started walking. Killua was about to turn away from them when two small, but strong, hands wrapped around his arm. His head twisted around to see those familiar amber orbs glaring up at him with determination.

Gon started pulling him in the direction of her other two friends, and Killua had no choice but to limply follow her. Leorio pouted, but allowed him to join the group. Kurapika simply gave him a small, welcoming smile of warmth. He was now sandwiched in between Gon and Kurapika - apparently Gon knew more about Leorio and Killua's amenity than she let on. The older blonde woman leaned in to whisper something in his ear. The silverhead blushed slightly, and his steady footsteps stopped. Kurapika simply smiled smugly at his reaction.

"Wh-what's that supposed to mean?" the flustered boy whispered back.

Kurapika shook her head with that secretive smirk still on her lips. She put her index finger to her lips in a gesture that suggested that Killua would be left to ponder her words for the night, and just kept walking.

* * *

 **Next Time on NAPP:**

 **(What did Kurapika say to Killua? What does it mean? Who is the strange black-haired man who keeps bothering Kurapika in a way even Leorio couldn't annoy her, and why is he in the dining room?)**

 **A/N: Short chapter, but quite satisfying if you're a KilluGon fan. I really, really, really, really hope I'm not creating an instant romance with KilluGon. Please tell me if I am. I also really, really, really, really hope I didn't mess up anyone's character. Especially Hisoka and Gon. I feel like I veered off character with those two.**

 **Question of the Day: What do you think Kurapika told Killua?**

 **Question of the Day #2: What is Chrollo doing in their dining room?**

* * *

 **Replies To My Pretty Dearies:**

 **Guest: I'm glad you think Chrollo is funny. It makes me happy. And yes, Chrollo didn't know Kurapika was alive all this, and even though he'd never show it, he's really happy. Leorio taking a bullet for Kurapika will be elaborated upon. Welcome back to sassy Mamapika! Now that Chrollo's out of her hair she can go back to being a badass. Thank you for pointing out the inconsistency with Pirru's name. I'm still trying to decide what I should name him. It's either Pirru, Kukai, or Haku. And don't ever be sorry about asking and pointing out someone's faults! I'm really thankful you pointed it out actually. I'm also glad you think Netero's done well. I was worried about making him Kurapika's relative, because that would mean having to write him a tender and caring side. Netero doesn't strike me as tender and caring. Thanks for thinking my Kurta-Clan-is-a-race idea is interesting. I just thought it would make more sense for a tribe of people with a distinguishing physical feature to be considered a race. And also more tragic. It also implies that there might be more Kurtas. And I know! I've always loved Senritsu's effect on Kurapika. She's like the opposite of Chrollo who keeps driving Kura off the edge. As usual, thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy this storm of a story.**

 **The Reviewer: Kurapika was actually 17 at the start of the anime. I understand the confusion since Kurapika looks really young in the manga and anime. I aged her up to eighteen, because I didn't want her to be a minor when she and Chrollo meet again, and there are going to be a few kiss scenes between them in the first year. Mostly because such relationships are considered illegal in my country. Plus, Chrollo's already a staff member, and I wouldn't want to make it any more weird.** **Just a personal preference, y'know.**

 ***Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed my story. And I hope the silent readers eventually find something interesting enough to comment on. Love you guys!***


	8. Trespasser

**Disclaimer:**

 **Mari: We still don't own the rights to Hunter x Hunter.**

 **Crowd of Maris: *Groans of disappointment***

 **Mari: But do not dismay! Someday, we will get those rights. Never will we ever give up!**

 **Crowd of Maris: *Cheers***

 **Mom: Do you want me to call the doctor again?!**

 **Mari and Crowd of Maris: Sorry Mom.**

 **A/N: Prepare yourselves for a wild ride. Kurapika knows Gon's ring size for some reason even I don't even know. She's a genius, okay. Get off her back. BTW, it's been five days since they got to the school. That means there's only about nine days until school starts on the first of September.**

 **Chapter 8:** **Trespasser**

 _"Gon's ring size is five, and her favorite gemstone is emerald."_

What does that mean?! Was she suggesting he get Gon a ring? For what? Is it what friends do? He didn't see Gon getting him any gifts. Was it just something men do? What does it mean?! Does it mean anything? Is he reading too much into her words? No, this was Kurapika. If there was one thing he had learned about the blonde in the last few days, it was that she didn't blurt random things out on a whim. Especially cryptic things like that.

He exhaled, and turned over on his side. Why did he have to be stuck with two of the confusing women on the planet? It felt like their sole purpose was to kill him with their cryptic statements and undeserved warmth. Perhaps a nap would help diminish the headache they induced.

He was about to nod off when he heard a bloodcurdling shriek pierce his ears. It sounded eerily similar to Kurapika's voice, but that couldn't be her. Kurapika doesn't scream, even when Leorio is being the annoying git he is.

"What are you doing here!" It was Kurapika.

Killua sighed. If Kurapika had been driven to such lengths than whatever she was screaming at must be interesting. His curiosity eventually won him over, and he slowly dragged himself out of bed.

This had better be good.

The handsome man looked at the furious blonde emotionlessly. A bit of amusement flashed across his eyes. The angry Kurta stood in the hallway that separated the bedrooms from the dining room, her contacted eyes flashing murderously, as she took in the sight before her. Igonia S. Freecs, her innocent young friend, was _socializing_ with the vile demon, Chrollo Lucilfer. Kurapika glared at him, her arm shaking slightly as she waved it in the air, pointing at the man accusingly. Gon looked between them, confusion clearly written on her face. Kurapika's glare never wavered. Hell will freeze over the day she allows that man to corrupt Igonia's pure heart. The man in question was unaffected by the murderous intent behind her every movement.

"Oh, Pika-chan. We were just talking about you," Chrollo greeted, cheerfully, standing up and walking over to Kurapika casually. A seemingly gentle smile made its way onto his handsome face, but Kurapika wouldn't be fooled by the false sympathy. All she saw was a sadist, smiling at his prey, right before he tortures her to death. She instinctively took a step back. He took one forward.

"What are you guys being so loud for?" Leorio's tired voice rang from behind Kurapika.

The raven-haired man stood leaning against the door frame. Kurapika could see Killua silently watching the entire scenario play out in front of him, something akin to interest in his cerulean eyes. Leorio was oblivious to Killua, as his attention was focused on Kurapika and Chrollo.

"Nothing," Kurapika said, decisively, as she swept past Chrollo. She opened the steel refrigerator door, and started busying herself with breakfast. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something strange.

Gon had a plate of pancakes sitting on the counter in front of her. A second finished plate stood a few inches across from hers.

"You made yourself breakfast," Kurapika stated, slightly surprised. Gon was a decent cook, but the green-haired girl had a penchant for Kurapika's cooking. The young Freecss said it reminded her of Mito-san's cooking: Motherly, somehow.

"Hai," Gon replied, a sheepish smile on her face. "I didn't want to wake you up, because you looked kinda stressed yesterday. So, I decided to make breakfast myself, and then Lucilfer-san came."

"I see." Kurapika drawled. The blonde narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the man in question, as she uncorked a glass bottle of almond milk. She walked to the wooden cupboards where several multi-colored bowls lay. She preferred the ones back home. They had more character. She shrugged to herself, and took a bright red bowl from the cupboard. Chrollo had already reclaimed his seat at the table. She set it down, and reached over to another cupboard where the cereal had been stored, pouring the honey-flavored, o-shaped breakfast food into the bowl. The Kurta then poured the pale milk into the bowl of cereal, unaware of her tight grip on the bottle.

"There's no need to take your anger out on the bottle, Pika-chan," Chrollo chirped from his seat. His voice was brimming with amusement, black eyes never leaving the blonde once. The bastard was enjoying this. Kurapika almost considered purposefully breaking the glass bottle, just so she could stab him in the face with one of the shattered pieces. Bet that would wipe the smirk off his handsome visage.

Nonetheless, Kurapika loosened her grip, if only slightly, and continued pouring the almondy liquid over the honey cereal. The girl quickly regained her stoic composure, and eventually decided to interrogate the man. He clearly wasn't planning on leaving them in peace any time soon if his smug expression was anything to go on.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone frigid. The temperature dropped several degrees, but the blonde didn't notice. Her contacted black eyes met Chrollo's obsidian ones.

Chrollo smiled politely. "I wanted to see how you acted in your natural habitat."

Kurapika sent him an icy glare, and snapped, "I am not your test subject."

"Yes, but I found your mind absolutely fascinating." Chrollo propped his chin on the palm of his hand. "After all, you are the epitome of the broken genius."

Kurapika wasn't sure whether she should be offended because he just called her broken, or flattered because he called her a genius. Well, in the face of adversity, put on a mask of indifference.

And that is precisely what Kurapika did.

"Mr. Lucilfer, you shall leave the premises of my dormitory immediately. Your actions up until now have been nothing short of unprofessional." Kurapika praised her composure and authority as she spoke those words.

Unfortunately, the words didn't seem to faze the man in the least. In fact, his grin seemed to only widen.

"I was simply making sure that the President's relative is good and well," Chrollo said, cheekily.

Kurapika grit her teeth in frustration. So, this was all Netero's doing.

"President's?" Leorio's gruff voice started. The green-eyed man had been watching the entire conversation from the sidelines, confusion etched on his sharp face.

"Relative?" Gon finished in her usual sing-song voice.

Kurapika looked at the two with surprise clear in her eyes. She'd forgotten they were there. Even Killua had entered the dining room by then, curiosity finally winning him over.

"Pika-chan," Chrollo scolded. "You haven't told them yet?"

This time, Kurapika's anger was not suppressed. Her eyes flashed with annoyance, and her lips curled into a thin line.

Chrollo chuckled at her irritation, and finally picked himself up from the table. "Very well. I suppose this is a rather private matter. I will leave to your own devices."

With one last aggravating grin directed towards the blonde Kurta girl, Chrollo bid his goodbye and left their suite to eerie silence.

"Sorry," Kurapika apologized when she could no longer stand the suffocating silence.

"Kurapika, do you know what this means?" Gon asked, excitedly. Leave it to the hyper teen to be completely unaffected by something like this.

Kurapika decided to humor her. "What does it mean, Gon?"

"It means that you aren't really alone. Not only do you have us, but you also have family. And since he invited you to come here, it must mean he really wants to see you, right?" Gon ranted, her voice sounding more and more enthusiastic with every word. The green haired girl stood up on her chair, an intense determination written on her coppery face.

"I suppose," the Kurta said, a bit disconcerted by the girl's excitement. Then again, she shouldn't really be surprised. It was Gon.

"That might mean he wants to help you with whatever happened to the rest of your family! Maybe that's the reason why he accepted all of us! It's because he wants you to be happy! He wants us all to be a family." By now, Gon had one foot on the chair and another precariously placed on the round wooden table.

For the first time, Killua spoke up, "baka! Sit down! You're gonna break your neck!"

Kurapika watched the scene with amusement etched on her face. Gon had quickly sat back down in her chair, as Killua gave her a slight glare. Leorio wasn't half as amused as Kurapika. The tall man hit him harshly over the head.

"Brat! Don't speak to her that way! She may be a bit dense sometimes, but she's not an idiot, idiot!" the man declared.

"Ow! That hurt, ossan!" Killua complained as he rubbed his head, even though Kurapika was quite certain that the young man hardly felt anything. As an assassin, Killua had an extraordinary immunity to pain.

"Ossan!" Leorio let out an indignant cry at the silverhead's slandering. The man moved towards Killua threateningly. It was then that the blonde finally decided to intervene.

"You're both acting like children. Killua, stop provoking him. Leorio, stop letting him provoke you. Gon, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I doubt I could ever consider that man family." _Not after he abandoned us when we needed him most._

Gon gave her a quizzical look, "why not?"

"It's complicated," Kurapika answered, quietly. She finally settled down to eat her breakfast, but realized she'd forgotten the silverware. The girl let out a sigh. She wasn't used to being scatter-brained, but ever since she'd met Netero again she's felt restless. The fact that this man, the only other Kurta alive, couldn't even spare an ounce of his power to try and save the rest of their family, infuriated her. She had tried justifying him, but couldn't find anything that would explain his absence during the massacre. Her theories took a turn for the worse. Perhaps he didn't know. Ridiculous, the man had eyes everywhere. The only reason he couldn't find her was because he never tried. So, how could he let this happen? How could he stand by and watch their entire clan, the remaining members of the Ketsueki-me race, be annihilated? How could he let the Phantom Troupe gouge out their eyes, and sell them on the black market to mafia families and criminal syndicates? How could he let them die?

Kurapika hated to think of him in such a way, but everything pointed to one conclusion: Netero had something to do with the Kurta Massacre.

Kurapika felt a warm hand fall on her shoulder. Her whole body tensed up, her guard suddenly falling back into place like a wall. She looked up slowly.

Leorio stared down at her with concern in his green eyes. "You okay, Kura?"

Kurapika gathered all the self-control she had, and formed a mask of reassurance. She smiled warmly up at the man, and uttered a small, "yeah."

Leorio narrowed his eyes at her, skeptically, but said nothing. The blonde gave him one last smile, and turned towards the two younger teens. Gon looked concerned, amber eyes wide with worry. Killua simply looked at her with knowing eyes. Kurapika gathered that the silverhead knew the symptoms of PTSD like the back of his hand. He probably experienced it several times himself. Growing up in a family like the Zoldycks couldn't be easy.

Silence engulfed the room, as Kurapika relaxed and let herself forget her troubles for a few seconds. Just as Senritsu had suggested. She smirked to herself. Seems a part of her agreed with the short woman.

"Ne, Kurapika?" Gon asked, deciding her friend could use a change of subject.

"Yes, Gon?"

"Have you met Lucilfer-san before?"

Kurapika's eyes narrowed darkly at the horrid name. Gon noticed this, and twitched nervously in her seat. Kurapika nodded nonetheless, but her eyes were still narrowed into dangerous slits.

"Why don't you like Mr. Lucilfer?"

"Because he's a discourteous, obnoxious, vexatious little prick with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever," the blonde ranted with clear distaste.

"He seemed nice," Gon commented with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"It's a lie," the blonde snapped, as she crossed her arms across her chest. She could feel it. Gon had accepted the gentleman exterior without looking deeper to see the true demon. She must deter the green-haired girl from falling for it.

"Gon." Killua was the one to distract her this time. He took her by the hand and dragged her out of the dining room. The sound of the front door was heard, and suddenly Kurapika and Leorio found themselves alone . . . again.

"So, I take it you really hate this guy," Leorio spoke up, after another round of silence.

"With a burning passion," she said, her voice cold as ice. Suddenly, her stomach growled. She sighed, and plopped her head down on the cold table.

Her ears picked up the sound of footsteps, the scraping of a drawer, and the soft sound of metal clanking next to her. She raised her head, and saw a silver spoon laying next to the red bowl of cereal.

"Thanks," she muttered, as she picked up the spoon and practically stabbed it into the colorful cereal.

"You're usually slightly less scary after breakfast," Leorio commented airily. This earned him a sharp stab in the stomach with a makeshift hand dagger.

 **Next Time On NAPP:**

 **A glimpse into the life of Chrollo.**

 **A/N:**

 **I split this chapter into two parts again. Just because I wanted to give you guys a chapter before this week ended. But look on the bright side: Chrollo is the main focus in the next chapter. Once more, unedited chapter. I really need to get a beta-reader, or something.**

 **Question of the Day: Is there anything you guys want to particularly see in the coming chapters?**

 **~Replies to my Pretty Dearies~**

 **Guest: Hi again. Thanks for the reassurance. I know, isn't Gon just adorable? And Hisoka is a creep, and that's the way he should be. Daddy Leorio and MamaPika for best fanfiction parents. Leorio let Chrollo go since Kurapika clearly hates him, but Chrollo seems polite-ish. Pirru, it is. And yay, kiss scenes.**


	9. The Walking Enigma

**Disclaimer:**

 **Me: I may not have the HxH rights, but someday!**

 **A/N: Sorry I'm late. Kurapika's eyes are brown in the manga, so that's what I'm going with.**

 **Chapter 9: The Walking Enigma (shout out to Guest)**

Most people would agree that Chrollo Lucilfer was an enigmatic man. He gave the impression of a cold businessman, perhaps a psychopath. He accepted the title with open arms.

In truth, Chrollo Lucilfer had no clue who he was, or what he was. As Netero had informed him countless times, Chrollo Lucilfer couldn't be considered a human. Not entirely, anyway. Chrollo had always known this, but he didn't mind much. After all, not being human allowed him to detach himself from many things. Death, destruction, even life, and he was grateful for this inhumanity. If he had been human, then he wouldn't be alive right now. His detachment allowed him to live without any attachments to anyone and saved him the unnecessary pain that is loss and fear.

And then came along a little blonde girl, and his inhumanity was challenged for the first time in his seventeen years (at the time) of existence. She had been ten and had wandered into the surrounding forest for whatever reason that she'd adamantly kept to herself. He'd been stabbed in the abdomen: His brother had been in a particularly foul mood the day before, and took it out on him, as per usual. Not that he cared much. It was more annoying than anything else. He just needed to wait it out, and his body would inevitably repair itself eventually. It always did. He didn't fear death, but his body didn't share this sentiment. It liked living.

Yes, he remembered that day well. Much better than the girl in question did. It seems she had somehow forgotten him entirely. Perhaps that was for the best.

 _He clutched his side in anguish, his face contorted in pain. Sure, the wound had no chance of killing him, but it still hurt like hell. Karol sure knew how to non-lethally stab someone in the abdomen in the most painful way possible. It was probably coated with some sort of poison as well. Well, no matter._

 _He lied back against the giant oak tree he'd been sitting by and took a shaky breath in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He felt no anger towards Karol of course. If anything, he was impressed by his accuracy._

 _Chrollo's senses suddenly kicked into high gear, as the sound of crunching leaves reached his overly sensitive ears. His entire body tensed up again, despite his wound, and his obsidian eyes fixed themselves on the place where the sound had elicited. A small hilltop directly across from him. Chrollo's eyes narrowed, anyone would've shuddered at the look in those orbs: He was ready to kill._

 _"KYA!" A yelp rang through the air, as the diminutive owner of that scream rolled down the hill of autumn leaves. She eventually came to a stop in front of Chrollo._

 _Said man only looked down at the small blonde with a curious expression, not at all concerned about her wellbeing. He inspected her like a scientist might inspect a particularly interesting specimen._

 _Only one word came to mind as he looked at the girl who was now clutching her head in pain: Cute. She was bloody adorable. Chrollo never took notice of such trivial things. Regarding something as cute required emotions, and Chrollo Lucilfer had none. But right now, as the blonde clutched her head, that seemed to be the only thing he noticed._

 _The blonde's eyes flickered open, revealing two chocolaty irises. Her eyes met his, and the girl regarded him with interest. Then, her eyes landed on his wound, and she went completely hysterical. But that wasn't what struck him the most. It was her eyes. They were scarlet. They were beautiful._

" _OH MY GOD! YOUR STOMACH! OR IS THAT THE ABDOMEN! DOES IT MATTER! OH MY GOD, YOU'RE BLEEDING! OH NO!" the blonde screeched, as she inched closer to him to inspect the wound._

 _He simply stared blankly at her, a bit surprised someone could have such a strong reaction to seeing a stranger wounded._

 _The girl's hands suddenly reached out to him and gripped his shoulders. She then proceeded to shake him violently, screaming, "HEY MISTER, HANG IN THERE! I'M GONNA SAVE YOU, OKAY! SO DON'T GO GIVING UP JUST YET, 'KAY! I need to get Leorio down here."_

 _The raven-haired man pushed her face away gingerly and quietly said, "I'm wounded, not deaf, little girl. And I'm certainly not gonna die, because of some flesh wound."_

 _The girl suddenly let out a small laugh of relief and hugged him._ Hugged. _For the first time in his seventeen years of existence, Chrollo Lucilfer was at a loss for what to do. He was in such a state of shock that he even forgot to push the girl away, and so the girl ended up burying her face in his shoulder for a good five minutes with her small arms wrapped around his neck._

" _Thank god," she whispered, the same relief still laced in her voice, as she released him. "You really had me worried."_

 _Silence engulfed them as the girl situated herself next to him, and leaned against the oak tree as well._

" _What's your name?" she asked, breaking the silence._

" _Didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers?" he asked, softly. His voice was always soft and gentle, but somehow, it also managed to be cold: The voice of a psychopath._

" _Not really. There aren't many strangers coming to our village," the blonde said quietly, as she looked down on the ground somberly._

 _An odd feeling pricked his heart at the somber expression on her face. Something foreign and wholly unwelcome. "I see."_

 _The girl's brown eyes focused back on him. She smiled, "well, my name's Kurapika."_

 _He raised a dark eyebrow at her comment. She wasn't very cautious, was she?_

" _Chrollo," he muttered. Not Quwrof. Not the blasted name they'd given him._

" _Chrollo?" she repeated, quizzically._

" _My name. You wanted it, didn't you?"_

Chrollo shook his head of the memories. This was no time for dawdling.

"Chrollo," a feminine voice called out.

"Menchi," he greeted the aqua-haired culinary hunter. The woman stood in one of the many doorways to the school with her arms crossed.

"The President wants to talk to you," she stated, simply, before walking back into the school.

"I see," Chrollo muttered to himself.

Chrollo didn't like Netero. He didn't hate him. If it came down to it, Chrollo probably wouldn't be able to hate anyone. He didn't have enough room in his heart to hate someone.

He did, however, mistrust the man greatly. Netero put on a good show, and pulled all the right moves. He manipulated his people as a puppeteer would his puppets: Without mercy. If one of them breaks, he'll just find a replacement.

Chrollo also realized that he was undoubtedly just another chess piece on his board. As were Kurapika's little friends. Even Kurapika herself probably found a way onto it.

Whatever his plans were, Chrollo would use his position on that board to monitor him, and should the man step out of line? Well, he's been itching to kill someone for a while now.

 **A/N: December was a crazy month. There's too much going on in my life right now, and I'm just trying to keep my head above the water. I'm also trying to keep up with colleges, and, well, you get the idea. Thank you for all your patience. This chapter is pretty short, but as usual Netty needs his own chappy. Hope you all liked the little Kura flashback (which really was meant to be longer). Thanks again.**

 **~Replies to Pretty Dearies~**

 **Guest #1: The struggle! Yeah, Kurapika's leading the mothership of KilluGon. Killua is me in those situations. I like seeing people argue. It makes me feel so much calmer. Leopika are adorable, as childhood friends often are. The Gon and Chrollo conversation is relevant. Kurapika's hatred is somewhat justified. You're gonna have to wait a little longer for Chrollo's connection to the Kurtas. This chappy was more about his relationship with Kurapika and Netero (who is not all he appears to be). He's not a spy anymore, btw. He's just a Spider Head with a heart.**

 **Tigerhiddeninshadows: I like tigers. You want Killua to shut down? Well, you've come to the right place. Tons of Killua breakdowns and angst in this here story. Kurapika is definitely going to bond with each chara separately. She shows no favoritism.**

 **Pherenike: HI! Thanks for the compliment (Ch 1). I'm glad you're liking it. (Ch 2). Thanks for your input. A bit too late though. This is the love triangle terrain now. Don't worry though, it won't be the focus, and Kura will be pretty much clueless most of the time. She doesn't have the time to worry about love, she's got a family to avenge (Ch 3). Thank you for reviewing each chapter. It really means alot. I'm glad you like Senritsu and Hisoka (ch 4). She's so very relatable, ain't she? Kurapika the elevator-hating, book-loving badass. I'm glad you like Chrollo's entrance (Ch 5). Kurapika's just being bitter, but Netty kinda deserves it. He's her uncle by consideration, but is distantly related to the Kurtas (ch 6). Thanks for the reassurance, Pherenike. I''m glad you like both Gon and Hisoka. I always worry about how I write them. Good guess for both questions! (ch 7). I'm glad you find my attempts at humor funny (ch 8). Thank you, thank you, thank you for going out of your way to review each chapter! It means a lot.**

 **Super Pank 13: Hi! No, the first chapter is just the first chapter. Don't let your guard down around Netty. Chrollo's intuition is hardly ever off. People who have known him long enough know he's a force to be reckoned with. Thanks for reviewing.**

 **Thank you!**


	10. An Alliance

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything! Except the school and Hotaru. Those are mine. I can live with that.**

 **A/N: Happy Holidays, my pretties. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Chapter 10: An Alliance**

"Netero," Chrollo greeted, as he walked into the lavishly decorated room. The ponytailed man smiled at him cheerfully in return and gestured for him to sit down. Chrollo politely refused. Netero shrugged carelessly and cut to the chase.

"I see you've met my niece," he commented. "Must've been quite the touching reunion. Wish I could've seen it."

"She's lovely, as always," Chrollo replied. An easygoing smile graced his face, but there was no warmth in it. He was cold as ever.

Netero continued to smile, unaffected by the dark aura Chrollo boasted.

"Of course, we are relatives after all," he bragged. "She's grown into quite a pretty thing, wouldn't you agree? She's intelligent too, if her score report is anything to go off of. I won't be surprised if she breaks a few hearts while she's here. Hohoho."

Chrollo's dark aura turned murderous at that comment, and his smile grew more forced. A terrifying sight to behold, even for Netero. Perhaps he should watch his mouth when he speaks of Kurapika's possible romances.

"Anyway!" Netero declared, effectively changing the subject. "I'm sure you understand my concern about letting her be near you. With your connection to the Spiders and all."

"Of course," he replied.

"You're not gonna leave her alone, though, are you?"

"Clearly," Chrollo deadpanned, looking almost bored. There was no use arguing with him. Netero valued there little alliance, and would prefer not to antagonize the man.

"Fine," Netero resigned. "I suppose you're as good a guard as any."

"Guard?" Chrollo asked, almost sounding perplexed. An odd emotion for the raven-haired man to possess. He usually had everything figured out.

"She wants to hunt your Spiders down," Netero informed. The old man finally dropped his smile, and took on a far grimmer expression.

"And?"

Chrollo found it highly unlikely that Kurapika would ever be able to find the Genei Ryodan. There had been bounty hunters and assassins specially trained to find and kill them. None of them have ever succeeded. Kurapika stood no chance. She was just a scarred soul with too much ambition.

"Don't underestimate her," Netero warned. "We are relatives after all. Not only that, but Kurtas are known for their passion. If they want to achieve something, they will, or they'll die trying."

He had a point, Chrollo had to admit. Perhaps Kurapika would be the one to bring about her own downfall. Still, self-destructive as she may be, she wasn't an idiot. She wouldn't allow herself to barge into something like this when it clearly meant a slow and painful death. Then again, she might not care if she died in the process. Not that he would ever let his Spiders harm her.

"The Genei Ryodan are under my control," Chrollo reminded him. "They won't harm her on my watch."

"How thoughtful of you," Netero praised, the smile returning to his face. "I just wonder what would happen if she cornered one of them, and they were forced to defend themselves. You wouldn't be there to stop them. Besides, are you saying you don't want an excuse to spend more time with her?"

Chrollo smirked, "Hardly. I just can't imagine that girl would take kindly to this revelation."

"She wouldn't take kindly to you no matter what you were doing," Netero commented, cheerfully. "Hate to say it, but the girl clearly despises you."

"I'm afraid the detail about the elevators slipped my mind," Chrollo said, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Strange, how a person can change someone so completely," Netero murmured thoughtfully, as he watched the warnth spread across the handsome man's face.

Chrollo snapped out of his Kurapika-trance and back into reality, as soon as the meaning of those words reached him. "Is that all, Netero?"

"Well, there's one more thing."

Chrollo raised an eyebrow, telling him to go on. He didn't have all day.

"How's the Zoldyck boy doing?" Netero asked. "You were there this morning. How was he?"

"Zoldyck. You mean that silver-head? He seemed fine," Chrollo answered. "Worried about a relapse or something, Netero?"

"Unfortunately. Zoldyck children are trained to kill since the moment they're born. It would be regrettable if he were to lose control."

"You'd expel him," Chrollo finished.

"I'd have no choice."

"So, that's the only reason you accepted him?" Chrollo asked, his voice considerably colder. "Pity?"

"No," Netero waved the thought away. "I also wanted Ging's girl to meet him. They're just adorable, no?"

"You wanted to match-make a pair of teens?" Chrollo asked, bluntly.

Netero nodded and then suddenly ran off on a rant about his plans for the two. Chrollo simply stood there in what could only be shock. Netero was crazier than he'd originally thought. It was rather unsettling to watch.

"I'm leaving," Chrollo announced. "Have fun with your matchmaking."

"I will," Netero sang, and laughed to himself.

Chrollo saw himself out, refusing Hotaru's offer to escort him. He closed the door behind him, and continued on his merry way to his office.

* * *

It was dark inside the spacious room when he walked in. The only light was that of the sun streaming in from the large windows. As it should be. He clapped his hands for the fluorescents to come up, and the office was instantly filled with a warm light. He sat down at his desk and sighed. He clasped his hands together and put them to his forehead in exhaustion. Emotions were such troublesome things. He still wasn't any closer to figuring out Netero's plan for those kids either. He let himself get distracted again.

His cellphone suddenly took that opportunity to ring. The man slipped the cellphone out of his pocket and put the phone to his ear.

"Yes," he greeted.

"Danchou, how's work?" a cheerful voice answered. Shalnark.

"Fine. Why're you calling me here?" he asked, referring to his order to only call him at work if the situation calls for it. Perhaps he should've been more clear on that.

"Machi and I found a pair of scarlet eyes in York Shin City. They'll be going on auction around December," the technology expert informed. The man stiffened. "Danchou?"

"December," Chrollo repeated. "Book it."

"Sure thing, Danchou," Shalnark confirmed.

"Who's selling?"

"Lance Lindberg," the cheerful young man answered.

Chrollo's eyes narrowed. Lindberg had some of the greatest nen-users protecting him. This would be a tough one to get, but Chrollo had always liked a challenge. Not only that, but he'd finally get an excuse to brutally murder a bunch of people. The man needed to vent. He told Shalnark to inform the others and then bid his goodbye. The man tossed the phone down on the desk. That's twenty down, sixteen more to go. He's been hunting down the thirty-six pairs of Scarlet Eyes for the last five years from the moment he learned of the clan's demise. His Spiders had been confused, of course, since they believed he had given the order to massacre them. In a way, he had.

"Igonia Sonya Freecss!" a familiarly disapproving voice berated. "Get down from there! You're going to break your neck!"

Chrollo smirked and looked out the window at the blonde Kurta glaring up at another girl. Gon, Ging's daughter, if he remembered correctly. The one Netero had paired up with the Zoldyck heir. The green-locked teen looked down at her sheepishly, and obediently jumped down from the roof. The Zoldyck took some more convincing, but eventually the blonde got him to come down as well. The woman continued to reprimand the two like a true mother. The tall, dark-haired man stood beside her with an amused expression.

Chrollo didn't like that man very much. He didn't know why, but something about him made his blood boil. It wasn't the first time they met either. Kurapika had eventually forced the boy to treat his wounds. He didn't recognize him now, which was understandable. Chrollo had changed drastically since that day.

The man suddenly looked up, and their eyes met. Leorio gave him a quizzical look, but Chrollo only offered a sly smile. The man narrowed his eyes suspiciously but apparently deemed him harmless, and turned his attention back to his friends.

Chrollo heard the door open gently and the soft sound of footsteps walking towards him.

"You don't want her to catch you, do you?" a bell-like voice chimed.

"Senritsu," he acknowledged, and stepped away from the window to face the small woman. Senritsu was one of the few people who knew of his association with the Spiders. She was also one of the few people he almost trusted. She wasn't Netero's puppet. The old man had given up long ago.

"I didn't know you were so fond of her," she stated, cheerily, almost teasingly. "Your heart beat sounds calm, happy, loving. Not that I blame you. If anything, I'm glad you've got someone like her. Everyone needs loved ones. Otherwise, their lives become a string of cloudy days."

"I think I preferred those to the storms," Chrollo played along, but Senritsu knew he wasn't playing. She knew many things he'd rather keep hidden.

"Perhaps if you're patient, the storm will pass."

Chrollo laughed out loud at this, and sat down at his desk again. "I doubt it, Senritsu."

"Perhaps, you don't want it to pass."

 **Next on NAPP**

 **School's here! Kura's being a mom, Senritsu finds it hilarious, Leorio hates studying, Gon's overly hyper, Killua's confused but stoic nonetheless. Here come the homeroom teachers.**

 **A/N: The Angst! Let's just say, Chrollo still has a hard time dealing with the fact that he isn't a complete psychopath. And yes, he's been gathering the Scarlet Eyes the Spiders sold on the black market for a while now. Senritsu kind of just wants him to accept the fact that he does care about someone other than one of his Spiders. He'll do everything in his power to protect her, but he doesn't like that fact.**

 **Question of the Day: The next chapter is a school-day chappie. Which characters would you like to show up? All the characters? Okay!**

 **Question #2: Any crazy theories on home room teachers?**

 **Question #3: Does Kurapika remind anyone else of Yun from Akatsuki no Yona? Nobody? Just me? Okay.**

 **~ Dear, Pretties ~**

 **Guest 1: Thanks for reviewing and being considerate and awesome in general! And don't worry about scaring Mari away. Mari's strong! Anyway, I'm glad you liked the last chapter and Chrollo's characterization. Your theory is actually pretty close to my plan for KuroKura beginnings. Of course, it's legit, Chrollo is never wrong! : ) Haha. And yes, we must protect baby Kura at all costs. Chrollo and Leorio and pretty much every other chara agrees. Protect Kura! You have one job! MORE FLUFF!**

 **Guest 2: Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww! Thank you! : )**

 **Sincerely,**

 **Mari the Crazy One**


	11. Firsts

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

 **Chapter 11: Firsts**

Killua watched as the pretty, amber-eyed girl devoured the breakfast Leorio had made for them. They all took turns cooking, and apparently, Kurapika was still in a bad mood after the incident a few days ago. He'd have thought a calm person like Kurapika would've been able to let something like that go by now. She must really hate that man. He wondered why. He had a dark aura, but so did Killua, and Kurapika had no problem dealing with him. Gon didn't seem to mind him. Then again, Gon never seemed to mind anyone. She simply accepted them, unaware of any dangers that person might pose. She probably wouldn't mind if someone was a holding a dagger to her throat. She'd probably try to befriend them. That idiot.

"Killua?" Gon asked, gazing at him with a quizzical gleam in those big, amber eyes.

"What?" he responded, never breaking eye contact.

"Why are you doing that to your food?"

Killua looked down at the toast in front of him, which he had apparently shred to pieces.

"It looks like you stabbed it repeatedly with your fork," Leorio said, suddenly coming up from behind him. The tall man looked over his shoulder with a curious look.

"Are you okay, Killua?" Kurapika asked, clearly concerned for him. Concern. What a strange thing to see on someone's face. His family would've just found it as a sign that he needs another mission. Perhaps they would've ignored it altogether.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered and started to actually eat the stabbed bread.

"I think Killua hates toast," Gon whispered to Leorio. "We should make him something else next time."

"No, it's fine," Killua murmured, almost inaudibly, as he averted his eyes. "I just . . . had a bad thought."

Gon's eyes widened in curiosity. "About what?"

"Nothing."

Gon started to protest, but Kurapika quickly scolded her. That shut her down fast enough. Kurapika had an oddly impressive knack for silencing others. There was something in her eyes that seemed to steal the words right out of the victim's mouth.

"It's time for school," Kurapika said, her authoritative voice pierced their ears. "Go get ready."

Gon was, of course, the first to abide by the blonde's command. Killua reluctantly followed her, apparently not in the mood for school. Only Leorio and Kurapika remained. The blonde raised an eyebrow at his continued presence at the dining table.

"I hate school," Leorio muttered, averting his dark eyes from the disapproving Kurta.

"Stop complaining and follow them," Kurapika commanded, as she pushed him into the hallway where the bedrooms were located.

"Yes, master," he teased. Kurapika simply rolled her eyes and returned to the dining room. "Hey, aren't you gonna get ready?"

"I've been ready for the past two hours and actually went down for breakfast in the dining hall like all the other students. You were all still asleep, so I figured I'd let you rest."

"Aw, how sweet," Leorio grinned, and leaned down to look her in the eye. Kurapika scowled at the distasteful phrase. Sweet: A word used for toddlers and air-heads. She was anything but sweet.

"I'll remember to wake you up next time," she replied. The two glared at each other for a second. Well, Kurapika glared and Leorio simply stared back uneasily.

A knock on the door eventually snapped them out of their staring contest. Kurapika went to check who it was, and Leorio took the opportunity to prepare himself for school.

"Hello, Kurapika." Senritsu smiled up at the surprised blonde.

"Senritsu," Kurapika greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"It's protocol for the Room Supervisor to check on their students. How are you four doing?" Senritsu asked, politely, as she walked past Kurapika.

"Fine. They're off to a bit of a slow start, but they're on their way too," Kurapika explained.

"I see you got your uniform," Senritsu noted. Kurapika nodded, looking down at her red-black attire. A loose blood red shirt was partly covered by a gold-buttoned black blazer. A red skirt stopped just above her knees. Her shiny, straight, shoulder-length blonde hair was left untouched by hair products, pins, and scrunchies. She was a practical person who disliked the thought of spending longer than fifteen minutes on her hair. Wash it, brush it. That's as far as she's willing to go. "You look lovely."

Kurapika blinked at Senritsu's comment, "Thank you?"

"By the way." Senritsu said, cautiously, weighing the oddly volatile Kurta's expression. The blonde simply gave her a curious look, and Senritsu took a deep breath as she braced herself for the storm. "The principal came up with a plan . . ."

"Yes?" Kurapika asked, as Senritsu trailed off.

"Well, he decided to give you a . . . guardian of sorts."

"A guardian?" Kurapika repeated, her tone suddenly colder. She should've known he'd do something like this. "Who is it?"

"He's waiting outside," Senritsu artfully avoided the question. Kurapika arched an eyebrow, not missing Senritsu's sudden nervousness.

"I'll go meet him, then," Kurapika announced. "You'll wait for them, won't you?"

Senritsu nodded, as her face became noticeably less stressed. The blonde sent her a small smile and closed the door behind her, still wondering what about this new arrangement could have elicited such an odd reaction from the calm Senritsu.

* * *

Kurapika wasn't very fond of the idea of a guardian, but she also found Netero's actions unsurprising. The man had made it obvious that he found her plans were both dangerous and futile. He undoubtedly believed that if a hired guard kept an eye on her, then she wouldn't be as inclined to act on her desires.

Perhaps it's not the situation that Senritsu was worried about. Perhaps it's the person. Who could it be, though? It had to be someone she knew, otherwise there would be no reason for Senritsu to believe they would have a bad relationship. It was a man. It was someone Netero trusted with her safety. It was someone who she disliked at best.

The diamond sun in the sapphire sky blinded her for a fraction of a second, and as her dark eyes slowly adjusted themselves to the brightness, she heard someone walk up to her from behind. She whirled around to meet the eyes of a raven-haired man. A very annoying raven-haired man in a suit with an odd bandage wrapped around his forehead.

No.

No.

 _No._ _Please no._

"Hello, Pika-chan," he greeted.

Her uncle clearly hated her. Why else would he have picked this walking personification of the most deplorable rubbish imaginable? Anyone else would've sufficed. It as clearly a very sick joke. Another one of his games. First the scarlet uniform, now this beast as her "guard." It was sabotage.

"Is there something wrong, Pika-chan," he asked, playfully. His smile sent a wave of anger through Kurapika.

"Don't call me Pika-chan," she said lowly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I take it Netero hired you to guard me."

"Apparently, he doesn't trust you enough to keep yourself out of danger," he provoked. Kurapika glared at him, but, as usual, he remained unaffected.

"I see," Kurapika said through gritted teeth.

"Kurapika!" Gon, followed by Killua, suddenly burst out the door, in uniform and ready for anything. The girl ran up to the blonde, practically beaming with excitement. Killua trailed behind her in his light blue uniform."Wah, you look so cool!"

"Thank-you Gon. Green looks good on you." Kurapika complimented, her face suddenly soft. Gon's uniform was similar to Kurapika's but sported a dark forest green with some lime splashed in for variety.

Gon simply blushed and scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Thanks."

Kurapika simply smiled. Leorio soon joined them, wearing a dark blue uniform similar to Killua's: a navy blazer with a black collar and trousers.

"I can't believe they make us wear uniforms. I thought this place was supposed to be all for diversity," Leorio complained, as he adjusted his tie.

"You look the same," Kurapika commented, unhelpfully.

"Lucilfer-san? What are you doing here?" Gon's voice tore Kurapika back into the horrible reality.

"Lucilfer-san is going to accompany me to my homeroom," Kurapika answered in a noticeably forced tone.

"Why?" Gon asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Lucilfer-san is now going to be Kurapika's guardian," Senritsu answered, as she walked out of the building with a small smile on her face, weighing their reactions.

Silence encompassed the trio for a few seconds, but of course, none of them could keep quiet for very long.

"Heh!" they shouted in unison.

"Why do you need a guardian?"

"Why is it him?"

"Is someone after you?"

Kurapika quickly refuted every claim they threw at her, like an actress putting down nosy reporters. Her companions soon calmed down, and Killua asked why someone like Kurapika would need a guard again. Kurapika just answered with her usual cryptic response of "it's complicated" and hastily changed the subject.

"We'll be late if we don't hurry," she said. The blonde Kurta then flashed them a small smile and swiftly walked to the school entrance. "C'mon."

"I hope you find your way to your homerooms," Senritsu said softly, as she waved a goodbye. The quartet bid their own goodbye. Well, quintet. Unfortunately, for Kurapika.

* * *

"Please tell me you're not going to follow me around all day," Kurapika muttered, almost whined, as Chrollo silently walked her to homeroom. She didn't know what possessed Netero to give her a guard. She didn't want to know why he chose someone like Chrollo. This was probably just another game to him. That creepy old man really needs to get a new hobby.

"No worries, you won't be able to see me," Chrollo reassured her or at least tried to. Kurapika was far from reassured. She frowned slightly at his comment.

"When you put it like that it makes it sound like you're a pervert preying on innocent girls," she commented, distastefully.

Chrollo just chuckled softly. "Don't worry, I would never do anything to actually make you hate me."

Kurapika glanced at him, suspiciously. Was he being serious, or was this one of his jokes? How confusing. He really should warn her before he does that. She's in a position where a reply seems to elude her. If there's one thing the blonde girl can't stand, it's not knowing. She decided to take it as a joke in the end. After all, it's not like she cared what he thinks.

"It's a bit late for that," she commented, crossing her slender arms over her chest in an irritated fashion.

Chrollo smirked, "Is that so."

Kurapika rolled her eyes at her new . . . guard. The word felt bitter on her metaphorical, mental tongue.

"Well, here we are," Chrollo announced, as they neared room 319: Her homeroom. "Well, I'll see you around, Kurapika-chan."

"The Chan is unnecessary," she muttered, but at that point, she didn't really care. He was leaving anyway, and they were in a public place. There was no reason for her to get worked up over something so trivial. That's what he wanted.

Though if he calls her Pika-chan again she'll stab him with her bokken. No, that wouldn't work. Her bokken swords are wooden. Perhaps her shuriken would do the trick. Perhaps a kitchen knife. It was almost frightening, the number of ways there were to murder someone.

Yet, Kurapika would never dream of attacking a defenseless person. It was against everything she stood for. If she murdered someone in cold blood then she'd be no better than the Spiders. She'd rather die than become one of them. That's why she would never kill someone who had no way to put up a fight. Not even a Spider.

Kurapika pushed the thoughts aside and walked into room 319 of the Technology Department. She was met with something akin to a lecture hall. An odd-looking with a purple mohawk stood at the front, looking at computer screens with a creepy smile on his face and a gleam in his beady black eyes. He wore a dark jacket with a white rim and matching pants. Large, clear glasses sat on his nose patiently.

"Kurapika Karin, isn't it?" he asked, not even sparing her a glance.

"Hai," she answered, her walls immediately going up at his knowledge of her (fake) name.

* * *

"Killua, are you alright?" Gon's concerned voice finally reached him. Killua stared at the green-haired girl, as her words were processed in his brain.

"H-hai," he said. "I'm fine. It's just weird that Kurapika would need a guard on school grounds." And that it would be someone with such a dangerous aura.

Gon agreed but said that it might just be the work of an overprotective uncle.

"You trust him, Gon?" he asked. "Why?"

Gon thought for a while, as they walked to their homeroom, gazing up at the beautiful marble ceiling. Killua's eyes were, of course, fixated on Gon the entire time. He's seen marble ceilings before.

"He just . . ." she trailed off as if she's lost her train of thought.

"Just?" Killua pressed.

"Seems like a nice person," she finished, eyes wide with innocence. Killua rolled his eyes. He should've known it'd be something like that. Gon doesn't have a sense of danger. If someone seems nice, then they are nice.

"Nevermind," he brushed her answer off. "We're gonna be late."

"Hai!" Gon said, cheerfully, and followed him to room 789. It was a history classroom. Timelines lined the walls like the chairs that lined the floor. Windows overlooked the mountains. Gon was practically jumping up and down with joy. It was her first time in a classroom, after all. She was clearly spellbound. Killua averted his eyes from the beaming girl. What was she so excited about? Baka.

"Igonia Freecss and Killua Zalier?" A male voice queried. The two turned to see a mustached man with no apparent mouth, and lavender hair. He wore a navy suit and trousers, and a neon pink tie. Altogether, a very suspicious person. As if he'd just give out his name on a whim like that.

"Hai!" Gon confirmed, not noticing Killua's reluctance to answer. The handsome silver-haired boy-man grimaced.

* * *

"Hey," Leorio heard a feminine voice from behind him. The raven-haired man turned around to see a beautiful woman with aqua hair. She wore a transparent fish-net top, and skin-tight shorts that he was sure were against school dress code.

In other words, she was just his type.

Then he remembered a certain blonde who looked down on his womanizing, slightly perverted habits, and all inappropriate thoughts fled his mind. He was convinced Kurapika had some sort of psychic ability that allowed reading minds, and he wasn't going to get caught and scolded half to death by the Kurta.

"Leorio Paladinight. I'm Menchi, your homeroom teacher. I'm being forced to take you to homeroom since you're too stupid to find it yourself."

She didn't even give him a chance! He was still in the courtyard! If she'd let him start his search for the homeroom, he would've found it in six seconds flat! Who did she think she was?

* * *

 **Next time on NAPP:**

 **The first day of class always comes with trials and tribulations. However, no one in our quartet saw this coming.**

 **A/N: SO, I'm sort of late again. It's sort of been a month. I sort of forgot what I was writing, but now I'm back on track. BTW, I don't remember if I gave Killua a fake last name yet, so if you remember if I did, please tell me. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this short chapter.**

 **Question of the Day: Do you agree with the homeroom teacher choices? Or do you wish they were someone else?**

 **Replies to Pretty Dearies:**

 **Guest: Thank you so much for reviewing. I'm glad you like my writing, and I'm even more glad that you continue to enjoy Chrollo's character and all his psychopathy. And I really am going all out with Mamapika and Dad-Leo. It just makes sense that they'd be like parents, or perhaps over-protective older siblings, to the younger two. Netero isn't as harmless as he seems, but at the moment, he's just taking the sidelines. Hanzo will be taking a slightly different role next chapter, and Bisuke isn't coming until later. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter and hope that you enjoy the rest just as much. Your enthusiasm is always welcome.**

 **P.S. I personally always thought that Netero shipped KilluGon one way or another. I don't know why.**

 **End of Replies**

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who's favorited, followed, and reviewed so far. It's been a big help.**


	12. Test

**Disclaimer: Don't own, wish to.**

 **Chapter 12: Test**

"Kurapika!" a familiar voice cried out to her, tearfully.

"Leorio," she greeted, as the man gathered her in a rib-crushing hug. She only stood there, waiting for him to regain his lost composure, as the older man muttered something about being glad he wasn't the only one. The blonde stopped listening once she realized most of what he said was meaningless chatter.

"Kurapika! Leorio!" a familiar, cheerful voice suddenly called out to them. They turned around to see a smiling Gon running towards them with an indifferent Killua trailing behind her with his hands tucked into the pockets of his blue jeans. A young girl with blue hair followed the two of them, looking completely out of breath.

Leorio finally released the Kurta - thank god, her air supply had slowly started to run out - and instead hugged the younger, far more responsive green-haired girl. At some point, Kurapika started to worry the man might actually start crying.

"What's his problem?" Killua asked as he sat down a rock next to Kurapika. He watched the tearful exchange with a disinterested facade. Kurapika knew better. Apparently, so did the new girl.

"Something about annoying ninjas and trauma," Kurapika informed.

"Typical."

"Is someone jeal~ous," the blue-haired girl sang.

Killua's pale face slowly turned a laughable shade of pink. Kurapika had to bite back a laugh. The blue-haired girl had no such boundaries, she just giggled at the young man's embarrassment.

"Che," Killua mumbled, averting his eyes. Kurapika smiled at the young Zoldyck, who in turn completely faced the opposite direction.

"Kurapika!" Gon squealed, wrapping her arms around her beloved friend. Kurapika actually hugged her back. She even tossed a small grin in Killua's direction, not bearing the idea of passing up a chance to tease the white-haired assassin. The boy simply rolled his eyes.

"Gon, what happened?" Kurapika asked, as the two separated.

"We were lost in a maze," Killua answered instead, finally getting out of his corner. "Gon somehow figured out where you were."

"How?"

"I could smell you," Gon jumped in. "Leorio's cologne is really strong."

"Hey!"

"Guess the teachers are having some fun with us," Kurapika concluded with a finger to her chin. It sounded like the work of Netero. He enjoyed putting people in these situations.

***A FEW HOURS AGO***

The teacher simply nodded in greeting, his mustached expression never changing. He then told them to take the empty seat next to a pretty girl with blue hair tied in a bun with a headscarf. She wore a long-sleeved light pink shirt with violet red stripes traveling up the arm and slashing through the lighter pink, only to stop at her shoulders. On top of which she wore a red vest. She also sported a simple, long skirt that stopped just above her knees. The girl looked up at them with cerulean, emotive eyes which brightened up when she looked at her two new classmates. She smiled brightly at them, as the walked to take their seats: Gon taking the one right next to her, while Killua was left with a lone seat behind Gon.

"I'm Neon Nostrade," the girl chirped. "It's nice to meet you."

Gon responded almost immediately, much to Killua's dismay, "My name's Igonia S. Freecss." She turned to point at him, and Killua averted his eyes. "That's Killua."

Killua tried to look as casual as possible, hoping the girl wouldn't recognize him. He had done a job for Nostrade a few years back. Someone had tried to wipe out the Nostrade clan, and he had been sent to deal with them. They barely interacted, thankfully, so it was possible that she wouldn't recognize him.

The teacher cleared his throat, and the entire classroom was muffled into silence. "Welcome to the start of a new year, children. This year, we start off with a trip to the Cove."

Cove?

"What's that?" Gon asked out loud.

Neon took the opportunity to whisper an explanation, "It's a cave by the sea. We go there every once in awhile. It's entirely made of these weird crystal things. It's kind of slippery. I wonder what they're planning on doing in that place."

Gon glanced back at Killua, who was currently assessing the entire situation. The entire scenario had a suspicious ring to it.

"We depart now," Satotz added. "Please get into groups of three beforehand."

* * *

Kurapika sat down between a short boy with shoulder-length, pink hair and a turquoise-locked girl. The boy was clothed in a pink polo-neck sweater with a magenta v-neck jacket and had cat-like brown eyes. The girl to her right had on a salmon blouse and eyes that matched the exact shade of her medium-length hair. Kurapika studied the two analytically, but eventually decided they were quite ordinary.

He'd said their names were Pokkle and Ponzu. Perhaps they were siblings. No, they looked nothing alike. However, the look they shared when she'd sat down told her that they did indeed know each other. They were friends then.

"Alright kids," the suspicious, mohawked man started, sitting down in a large office chair. "This year, we're going to take a little field trip to the Precint. A little puzzle awaits."

A test, no doubt. Kurapika immediately started readying herself for the mental challenge puzzles brought with them. Strategies commenced, and her brain already kicking into high gear in anticipation. There were few things Kurapika enjoyed more than a mental game like this.

"We leave immediately. Everyone works alone."

Kurapika felt thankful for that rule. At least she wouldn't have anyone weighing her down. As much as the Kurta loved her friends, she had always preferred doing things like this on her own. It was easier when she only had herself to worry about.

* * *

Leorio Paladiknight pretended to listen as the self-proclaimed ninja talked his ear off. He stopped caring about the bald man after he introduced himself as Hanzo.

"Oi, baldy!" Menchi suddenly hit the man on the head with what looked like a rolling pin. "Pay attention when I'm speaking!"

What a terrifying woman. She sort of reminded him of Kurapika. Their tempers and icy glares felt similar. He still thought that Kurapika was scarier, though. Menchi acted on her feelings openly. Kurapika kept them bottled up inside of her. Sometimes, he worried that she would finally lose it. In the end, it was her emotions that made her unpredictable. With Menchi, it was the opposite.

"You too!" It felt like someone had just smashed his skull open with a boulder. Perhaps, the two women were tied for the "Scariest Human on the Planet" award. "Now! Listen up, you miscreants."

The room immediately shut up. They were familiar with Menchi and her rolling pin. The young culinary teacher gracefully walked back to the front of the classroom where a giant of a man stood. He wore a yellow shirt that didn't fit him, and green pants that were probably cutting off circulation to his legs. He smiled pleasantly at them, but Leorio only found it creepy. It was as if the giant was about to eat them, bones and all.

"Buhara, please explain," Menchi said, for the first since he'd met her, the woman hadn't snapped at whoever was on the other side of her conversation.

The large man conceded and proceeded to explain in a much quieter voice than Leorio had expected. "We're leaving for the Pyramid immediately. You can work alone, or in groups. We'll explain when we get there. Prepare for a challenge, both mentally and physically."

Where was Kurapika when he needed her?

"You're gonna be in our group," Hanzo said, clapping him on the back. Leorio nearly choked on air. What the hell was wrong with this guy?

***Present Time***

From what she'd gathered from her friends, the Cove, Precint, and Pyramid were all part of the larger whole: A labyrinth. How exciting. It was an even bigger puzzle than she'd thought.

"Kurapika has a scary look on her face, Leorio," Gon whispered.

"She likes puzzles."

"Oh," both Neon and Gon muttered in unison.

Kurapika surveyed her surroundings. The ceiling was a wall of obsidian rock. It glistened in the glow of the lit sconces. The floor stood in stark contrast and sported a dull, light hardwood floor. The walls had been made with some kind of shiny marble. If only there were a way to get above this place. She tapped her foot on the ground, and the sound it made was nothing like the sound of a hardwood floor.

Then, it dawned on Kurapika.

"Kurapika, the ceiling, the walls, everything -" Killua started, clearly realizing the same thing.

"It's glass," Gon finished, beaming.

"That makes it easier to cut," Kurapika confirmed. "Leorio!"

The dark-haired man looked up at her, ready to help in any way he could.

"Cut through the glass."

Silence.

"What!?"

"You heard me."

"Won't it break?" the man asked, nervously. "Why can't you do it, you're good at cutting things."

"You're a doctor-in-training, you can do it," Kurapika reassured him, though it sounded more like a threat.

"Yeah, but I do surgery on humans, not glass!" he complained ardently, his voice getting more panicked by the second.

Kurapika just gave him a smile, and the poor man froze. Kurapika was even more convincing when she smiled.

"Just do it."

Leorio's complaints died on his lips, "I'll need a knife."

Kurapika dug into her bag, and pulled out a thin dagger: A sharp, shiny thing with a bronze hilt, perfect for slicing.

"Why do you have this in your bag. Wait, have you been carrying this around the entire day?!" the man practically screamed.

Kurapika raised her hand to silence him. "Yes."

"How do I get up there?" Leorio finally asked, looking up at the ceiling. Kurapika sighed, looking up at the ceiling. He had a point, and she had no desire to be used as a stepping stone.

Perhaps, a different strategy was in order. The ceiling in the hallway was considerably shorter. Leorio would probably be able to reach it. Here's to hoping it wasn't too thick to cut, or too thin for that matter.

Kurapika gazed up. Too high for her, but Leorio would surely be able to make it.

"Seriously?" Leorio asked.

Kurapika nodded. Leorio grimaced at the Kurta, but consented.

"Are you sure he'll be able to do it," Neon questioned, walking up to stand beside Kurapika.

The blonde simply smiled, "no."

"Ah," was the only thing that the normally talkative Neon could manage.

Leorio started cutting through the glass when Kurapika remembered something. She dove back into her bag, searching for yet another item. Book about World History, no. Book about Karate, no. Book about World Languages, no. Sketch-pad, no. Where the hell were they? She was sure she'd put them in here. Ah-ha!

Kurapika triumphantly pulled out a gold, rectangular case.

"What is that?" Neon and Gon - who had suddenly appeared next to her - asked.

Kurapika flipped open the case to reveal a pair of goggles.

"Leorio, put these on," Kurapika said, tossing him the goggles, which he surprisingly caught. "They'll protect your eyes, and make sure to keep your mouth closed."

Leorio put them on obediently and returned to his carving.

Kurapika decided to leave him to it and read one of her books. World language was one of her favorite subjects. Knowing various languages proved to be helpful more than once. Where had she left off last time, again?

Several minutes passed as Leorio continued to battle with the glass. Eventually, he ended up with a near-perfect circle, like the ones people cut out when they go ice-fishing. Kurapika smirked, a strange sense of pride bubbling up inside her. Sometimes, she forgot that Leorio possessed a certain skill set due to his medical background, but in moments like this she could truly see his talents shine through. Perhaps she was being sentimental.

"Okay," she announced, standing up. "Hoist me up."

She disliked being used as a stepping stone, but she was perfectly fine with others being the stepping stone in question.

Leorio's grimace deepened, but he agreed. He clearly wanted to get out of there as well. So, he clasped his hands together to use as a sort of step and then pulled the young Kurta up. Kurapika carefully hoisted herself up onto the glass. The sun was still high in the sky. They'd been trapped inside there for at most three hours. Not too bad, considering they had almost no idea what they were doing.

Suddenly, she heard clapping behind her. She whirled around to see a familiar face that filled her with an overwhelming sensation of dread.

"Cutting through the glass. Impressive, Miss Calin," the demented clown said, a creepy smirk plastered on his tattooed face.

Maybe, she should go back down. Perhaps, he would just leave her alone.

 **Next On NAPP:**

 **They finally get out of the labyrinth. Hisoka's a creeper to everyone, particularly Gon and Kurapika, but no one really escapes. It's gonna be hilarious.**

 **A/N: It's hard writing someone as smart as Kurapika. Because you try to be too smart that what you writesorta defies logic. Like, I'm pretty sure it's not that easy to cut glass, but I don't care, because . . . plot? BTW, Leorio ditched Hanzo which is why he didn't show up more in this chapter.**

 **Question of the Day: How are Neon and Hanzo? And pretty much everyone?**

 **Question of the Day #2: How do you like the labyrinth game? I just came up with it on a whim, so it's probably pretty bad.**

 **~Replies~**

 **Domi-Chan: Hello, new person. I'm glad you're like the story, and I love your name. And I agree, Killua is a badass tsundere. I only hope he's as much of a badass in this story. I'm glad you like the arrangements of homeroom teachers. Thanks for reviewing, it means a lot. : )**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Awwwwwwwwwww, thank you. It means a lot that you love this fic so much. I know, Kurapika's usually portrayed as far too emotional for my taste. I mean, I know he has a temper, but he's still pretty calm most of the time. Even when he gets angry, it's a really cold kind of angry. YinYang pair deserves all the happiness and hugs in the world. So does Kurapika. Honestly, most characters in this series do. Except Hisoka. I love him, but he's freakin' creepy. I think Kurapika's pretty artsy too. No offense taken, I enjoy finding new perspectives. Thanks for the review. : )**


	13. Hisoka Annoys Everyone

**Chapter 13: Hisoka Annoys Everyone and Something Bad Happens**

"Why are you here?" Kurapika started, instinctively striking a defensive pose. The deranged clown simply laughed at her wariness.

"Oh, don't mind me, I'm just a stalker~" he crooned in a sing-song voice. Kurapika wanted to take it as a joke, but something about the man told her that he was far from joking. The last Kurtan survivor tried to conjure up her mask, the one that banished all emotion from her face, but she felt it slip easily. It turned out to be increasingly difficult to not cringe at the expression on his face. How she wished she could banish it from her memory!

"Hey, Kurapika!" her oldest friend yelled. "Are you okay up there! Did something happen! Hold on, I'm coming up there!"

"How exciting~!" Hisoka put a finger to his chin, still surveying - leering at, really - the pretty blonde in front of him. The Kurta wasn't sure if she wanted to scream at Leorio to stay down in the Labyrinth and protect everyone from the waking nightmare, or to tell him to hurry up so she wouldn't have to face said nightmare alone.

"You!"

Thankfully, she didn't have to make that decision. It wasn't like Leorio would listen to her anyway.

"Another unripe fruit has joined us. I could eat you both up," Hisoka purred, looking at them with lustful eyes.

"What the f-"

"Leorio! Not in front of Gon and Killua."

"Fluffy."

Silence.

Kurapika sighed, "really, you couldn't figure out something with a little more class."

"Sorry," the man apologized as he looked askew.

"It's not like we're twelve. We can take a few swear words, y'know," Killua commented, disinterestedly. He and Gon had already made it onto the roof, and the amber-eyed woman currently occupied herself with helping the less-skilled Neon.

"Ay, Gon!" Hisoka squealed in a tone like an excited school girl. The man walked towards the focused girl. He leaned down to her level, ignoring, or perhaps reveling in, the deathly glare Killua sent him. "What are we doing?"

"Hisoka-san!" Gon said, quickly recognizing the clown. Her voice sounded a bit surprised but a smile formed on her face nonetheless. "I'm helping Miss Neon."

At that exact same moment, Gon pulled said Miss Neon up onto the glass roof. Neon nearly lost her balance, but Gon easily helped her regain it. The young, blue-haired woman clutched her new friend's arm. Gon didn't seem to mind, despite the rather sharp nails Neon flaunted. There was now a good foot and a half of distance between Gon and Hisoka, and Killua made sure to take advantage of it. He sandwiched himself in between his first friend and Hisoka, sending him one last glare. The clown didn't seem perturbed in the least. In fact, he seemed delighted with their current arrangement. The others - save Neon since he didn't seem particularly interested in her - didn't fail to notice his pleasure, and where it was directed. They shivered. Even ever-innocent Gon wasn't completely lost as to where the older man's eyes were lingering.

"Hisoka, you walk in front!" they yelled in unison.

"Such synchronization," Hisoka cooed.

A few seconds later Hisoka positioned himself in front of Leorio and Kurapika. He informed them that he knew exactly where the exit was. Kurapika didn't believe him, but she gathered it didn't matter that much. It would be easy enough to recognize he was leading them in the wrong direction and then they could high-tail it out of there. The blonde watched the man like a hawk. One wrong move and she would initiate a plan to get out of his grasp.

"That glare you're tossing me is delicious, Kurapika-chan. You look even sweeter when you're angry. Like a mango," Hisoka casually commented, not even turning around to see if she was indeed glaring at.

She'd show him angry! If Gon and Killua weren't there, she would've beat him to a pulp for his perverted remarks. Kurapika forced herself to calm down and think about happy things. Like her adventures with Pairo, and her time spent happily in the Kurta village, but those memories only served to put a damper on her mood. They reminded her of the truth: Her family was dead, her village was gone, and she was still alive. And it was all because of them: The Phantom Troupe. Her thoughts took a darker turn where _she_ turned into the murderer and the Phantom Troupe became the victims. Where she stabbed them, mutilated them, decapitated them, and then finally scattered their remains. The images she conjured up in her mind felt disturbing at best, but the blonde avenger couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of happiness when she thought about the demise she would bring about. When she would finally get revenge for all they took from her.

"Kurapika!" Gon called, as she suddenly appeared beside her. "Are you okay? You stopped walking."

Kurapika snapped out of her train of thought. "I'm fine. I just remembered something important."

"Did you forget to turn the oven off?" Gon asked, as they started to walk again.

"No," Kurapika answered truthfully, glad to have something to take her mind of off the heavier subjects that had been weighing on her mind.

"Oh, did you forget to bring something?" Gon asked.

"No," Kurapika humored the younger girl. Gon continued throwing guesses at her friend, all of which the woman refuted gently.

"Danchou ~!" Hisoka suddenly said, and jumped of the roof. The other five turned towards the recipient of his call. There, below them on the green lawn, stood a familiar raven-haired man. He wasn't the only one there either. Around fifty other staff members stood around him. He was just another face in the crowd.

"Danchou?" the four of them repeated. Neon didn't seem as surprised.

"Don't you know? Hisoka has a weird obsession with Mr. Lucilfer, always calling him danchou and following him everywhere. Not that I blame him, he's absolutely gorgeous," Neon said, waving her hands around enthusiastically. Kurapika nearly choked at the last comment. Gorgeous? Him? Ha! Okay, maybe a little, but that didn't make his personality any more attractive.

Black eyes scanned the area for something more pleasant to focus on, and in a little under thirty seconds, they found it.

Senritsu stood a little furthur away from the crowd, talking with who could only be Hotaru. The kindly woman turned towards Kurapika. Their eyes met and she smiled. Kurapika smiled back a real, genuine smile she usually only reserved for her friends.

"Hey, Kurapika," Leorio's voice suddenly reached her. "You coming or what?"

"Yeah," she said, and jumped down as well. She had a few questions for Netero. The old man was doing a one-armed handstand on a giant embellished throne, stroking his beard as he observed the scene before him with amusement. Everything seemed to amuse him. When he noticed Kurapika storming up to him, he grinned widely.

"Isn't it a beautiful day, Kurapika?" he asked, conversationally. "Makes you want to get up and start the day right."

Never one for small talk, Kurapika cut straight to the chase. "Why did you bring us out here?"

"Oh, no reason, I just thought it would be interesting," Netero answered, still smiling. Kurapika grimaced, but she could see the man wasn't going to tell her anything. Then again, him putting a bunch of hunter students in a labyrinth for fun didn't seem that far-fetched.

"Did you send Hisoka to help us?" she asked. The Kurta was glad to be out of the maze, but being helped by someone who clearly had the whole thing mapped out felt too much like cheating for her liking. Her morals didn't allow her to cheat in anyway.

"Hisoka Morow? Nah, that man doesn't take orders from anyone," Netero remarked off-handedly, as his eyes fell on the man in question. Hisoka had engaged Chrollo in a conversation. The raven-haired man looked at him with a small, disinterested smile on his face. The psychologist glanced in their direction, catching Kurapika's eye. He then turned back to his red-haired acquaintance, the smile on his face slightly bigger.

Kurapika didn't see that though. She was too intent on facing away from her newly appointed bodyguard.

"Well, except for Chrollo, but even then it has to be something Hisoka finds interesting," Netero amended, more to himself than anyone else.

Kurapika found that hard to believe. No matter how charismatic Chrollo could be, Hisoka didn't look like the obedient time. No, he definitely had more of a I'm-gonna-do-whatever-I-want-purely-for-the-LOLs kind of attitude.

"Next question," Kurapika snapped, remembering what she was here for. "Does everyone in this school know who we are?"

"In my school, everybody knows everyone else," Netero said, wisely. Kurapika glared at him. She was in no mood for cryptic messages.

"So, that's a yes," she confirmed, and walked away from her eccentric uncle.

"Yup," he chirped after her, happily, "don't forget to send your friends my love."

"We don't need your love!" she called back. The man simply chuckled loudly. Kurapika scowled and her pace quickened.

"Kurapika!" Now what? The blonde turned to glare at the source of that call only to see her best friend running up to her. His green eyes blazed furiously and his mouth was turned down in a snarl.

"Leorio? What's wrong?" she asked, concerned. That was right. All she had to do was focus on fixing everyone else's problems, and then her own wouldn't bother her as much.

"Look!" he pointed to where Killua and Gon holding hands. Kurapika briefly wondered how they got into that position, but Leorio quickly cut off her pondering. "That kid is completely taking advantage of the situation!"

"What situation?" Kurapika asked, a smile forming on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Leorio waved his hand at the pair of teens frantically and practically screamed, "that one! Right over there!"

Kurapika laughed lightly, "let it go, Leorio. Killua's a good kid."

"G-good kid?" Leorio spluttered indignantly. "He's a demon, Kurapika. Anyone can see that."

"Don't you think you're taking this a bit too far?" Kurapika asked.

"No!" Leorio refuted. "I'm taking this just far enough!"

Leorio continued to rant, and Kurapika continued to listen and add in a sarcastic remark here and there. A good three minutes passed, and Leorio seemed to have no intention of stopping. They barely noticed the crowd part, but then Leorio saw something cloaked in a yellow school uniform come up behind Kurapika. The silver glint of a knife shimmered in the afternoon sunlight. His eyes widened, and he made a split second decision.

"Kurapika! Leorio! Watch out!"

A bit too late for that.

 **Next On NAPP:**

 **Who knows? Maybe someone will die. Nah, I'm just messing with you. No one's gonna die. Story gets real, though. Don't miss out.**

 **A/N: You may be wondering how Gon knew Hisoka's name. Well, Chrollo told her and then she told everyone else. Nah, I just forgot he never introduced himself.**

 **Question of the Day: What do you want to happen to Leorio and Kurapika?**

 **Question of the Day #2: Who do you think the assassin is? Who do you want them to be? Hint: It's an OC.**

 **Replies to my Darlings:**

 **Domi-Chan: Yo! You're so nice for actually taking the time to review. I really appreciate it! I'm glad at least someone takes note of my talents. Glad you think Killua's a badass in this story too. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, Domi-chan! : )**

 **End of Replies to Darlings**

 **Thank you to everyone who had taken the time to read this silly (but totally awesome) story. It's not gonna be silly for long, so treasure these moments. 'Kay, bye! See ya in another two months. Haha, just kidding. Anywhere within a week to a month. Maybe I'll get sick again and stay home catching up on all my fanfiction writing. BTW: I'm currently writing another novel. An original one with dragons and Warlocks and romance and other awesome things. Who knows? Maybe someday it will be published. Anyway, that's my reason for taking a two-month vacation. Sorry.**


	14. Of Illumis and Attempted Murders

**Disclaimer: I don't own it yet, okay! I'm working on it!**

 **A/N: OMG guys, I found another theme song for Kurapika. It's called "Revenge Is Gonna Be Mine" and is from the upcoming Once Upon A Time Musical Episode. I mean, it's a song about revenge and any song about revenge is bound to remind us all of our beloved Kurapika-chan. What's your favorite line from the song? Personally, I'm in love with the "some say 'let it go', I say 'hell no'" line. Great job, guys, you've succeeded in making Mari smile.**

 **Chapter 14: Of Illumis and Attempted Murders**

Kurapika's black eyes widened a fraction when Leorio jumped in front of her. She looked over his shoulder in time to see a dark figure heading towards them with a red-hilted dagger.

Her vision turned red. She wasn't sure what feeling currently welled up inside her. Fear for Leorio, anger at the man, or anger towards Leorio for trying to sacrifice himself when he could've easily just tossed her to the side. Anger, definitely anger. She would give him a strong talking to after this was over. Y'know, if he got out alive. Which he definitely would.

The man suddenly stumbled, tripped, and fell into a useless heap on the ground with a pen protruding from the back of his head. Blood poured out of the wound and pooled on the ground beneath him. Kurapika also didn't fail to notice the card sticking out of his side and creating a large gash near his heart. The idiot was as good as dead. And she knew who killed him. And she was not happy about it. Desensitized to the violent scene before her as she was, her morals didn't allow her to simply let this be.

Her head turned towards the two perpetrators. The cross-legged clown was smiling creepily as he shuffled his cards. She couldn't see the other one, however. Chrollo Lucilfer seemed to have vanished.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked from behind her, gentle and polite. She turned to see Chrollo Lucilfer beside her, smiling lightly. For once, she didn't feel like he was mocking her.

"I'm fine," she answered, her voice surprisingly stable. "Thanks . . . but was it really necessary to kill him?"

"Pardon?" he asked, confused. He was trying to make it look as if he hadn't been the one who killed that man.

Did he think she was an idiot? Well, he was in for a surprise.

"I know you killed him," she rephrased, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. She wouldn't let this slide. "And I refuse to accept it. Murder is unethical and you should refrain from doing so on my behalf in the future. Or at all."

"Who said I was doing it on your behalf?" Chrollo teased, a smirk on his face. He was back.

Kurapika gave him a dead look, reassuring him that she did not care for his sense of humor. "You're my bodyguard. I was being attacked. Of course, you did it on my behalf."

They continued to argue, Kurapika stoically attempting to prove herself right as the man in front of her grew more and more amused with her antics.

"Guys? You realize I'm still here, right?" a slightly annoyed Leorio intervened.

"Your presence is easily ignored," Chrollo informed in that same polite tone. Leorio had to take a moment to understand that the bodyguard/psychologist had actually insulted him.

"Hey!" Leorio started, but before he could go on a rant, Kurapika linked their arms and walked away from the man. She didn't want her friends being caught in his web. For whatever reason, she felt Chrollo was a dangerous entity. Annoying and dangerous, what a frightening combination. No, the blonde certainly wouldn't allow him to contact any of her friends furthur.

"Hi, Mr. Lucilfer!" Gon, as usual, did everything in her unconscious power to stand in the way of Kurapika's plans.

The blonde turned back just in time to see Killua dragging the girl away from the demon. Thank god at least one of them saw sense.

"Bye, Mr. Lucilfer!"

The moment Killua and Gon reached their friends, the amber-eyed girl leaped at them.

"Kurapika, Leorio! Are you guys okay?" Gon asked, concerned and yet cheerful at the same time.

"We're fine, Gon," Kurapika informed, smiling.

Gon smiled back and then started praising Leorio for his 'bravery'. Which reminded Kurapika of something very important.

"You could've bloody died," she suddenly turned on her friend with a fire in her eyes.

"You could've died just as easily as me!" Leorio responded indignantly. Gon and Killua exchanged a knowing look. They were about to be ignored again.

"Please, between the two of us, it's obvious that I am the better fighter," Kurapika scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Killua?" Gon suddenly asked.

"Yeah?"

"Those guys are staring at us," Gon informed, attention directed at something in the distant. Killua followed her gaze to see a group of teens talking together, stealing obvious glances at them. No, not at them, at Gon. And Killua didn't like the way they looked at his new-found friend. Time to send them his ultimate death glare.

"Ignore them," he advised, as he noted with slight satisfaction the fear that flashed on the group's faces. Gon agreed without fail.

"Who do you think that was, Killua?" Gon asked, as she looked at the bloodied spot on the ground. It was surprising how well she took the whole ordeal. She didn't seem fazed in the slightest, just relieved that her friends had made it out alive. It made Killua wonder how she'd react to him being an assassin.

"Who was that?" a deceivingly gentle voice asked. Netero turned around to see a slightly smiling Chrollo Lucilfer. That too was a deception. Chrollo's smiles were hardly ever genuine by any means.

"Whatever do you mean, my friend?" Netero put down the document he had in his hand.

"The man who tried to kill know who he is," Chrollo stated, calmly.

"I do," Netero reaffirmed, jovially. He said nothing afterward though, prompting Chrollo to speak again.

"And?" Chrollo asked, voice still frigidly calm. Netero sighed, he knew the man wouldn't let this slide.

"Carl JuVone, a young man who went missing about a week ago," Netero answered. "He had no reason to attack her, so he was either threatened or controlled."

"Controlled?" Chrollo asked, though he probably already knew the answer. He just needed Netero to confirm it.

"The thing that possessed you and your troupe. That thing that made you go mad with the voices in your head," Netero explained. Chrollo nodded, showing that he recalled the incident with frightening clarity. "I suspect JuVone was under a similar trance."

"That's why you wanted me to guard her," Chrollo barely whispered, the dots fluidly connecting in his sharp brain. "You expected this to happen."

"Yup," Netero chirped, smiling. Chrollo remained emotionless.

"For how long?"

"As soon as I heard about the disappearances from Beans-chan back in the Hunter's Association. It happened to be around the same time Kurapika and her friends arrived. I found it suspicious," Netero answered. "You're the perfect bodyguard for her. Not only are you fond of my niece, but you're also immune to those whispers. There's no chance you could turn on her."

"And why didn't you tell me about this?" Chrollo asked. There was no reason for Netero to not share this information with him.

"You didn't ask," Netero said, matter-of-factly. Chrollo's smile turned murderous. He shouldn't have to ask for such things. "Either way, until we've found the nen-user who possesses this mind-control hatsu, Kurapika staying alive remains questionable. Now that the nen-user has made their first move, we can assume they're ready for war. Be vigilant."

"I am nothing if not vigilant," Chrollo pointed out. Netero couldn't help but agree. Nothing could get past that man.

"Anyway!" Netero sang, "Isn't my niece just the smartest little avenger in the world! No one had ever thought about cutting through the glass instead! Clearly, she gets it from me! I mean, Yuka and Pirru were pretty intelligent, but they never possessed that talent for strategy that she does."

Chrollo resisted the urge to stab the gushing man. The way the President went from being morbidly serious to cheerful was concerning, and the psychologist could easily place him in about five different categories of mental disorders right of the bat.

"I'm leaving," Chrollo announced, no longer in the mood to humor the man and his fangirling.

"Bye bye, say hi to my niece for me!" Netero called after him. Chrollo saw Hotaru enter, carrying a pile of files and books. She gave him a nod of acknowledgement. He gave her something akin to a look of pity. "Chubby-san! How are you!"

He was her problem now. The psychologist had a blonde to check up on.

"Killua?" Gon prompted, sitting down next to him under a tree. It felt nice to be in the shade and out of the harsh sunlight for a change.

"Yeah," Killua signalled for her to continue. It was becoming a routine for them. Gon would come to him for answers, and he would respond accordingly.

"Do you think more people would come for Kurapika now?" she wondered, her forehead contorted in thought. Killua finally turned towards her,

"What makes you think that?" The silver-haired assassin inquired, He had come to the same conclusion a few minutes after the whole ordeal had occurred, but the boy wanted to see how Gon figured it out.

Gon looked up towards the sky and leaned back against the tree as she thought through her answer. "It's . . . just a hunch, I guess."

Of course she would say that. Everything Gon did seemed to be based on those instincts of hers. Too bad self-preservation wasn't among those.

"We'll protect her though," Gon said, determinedly, eyes burning with fiery fervency. "There's no way I'm letting anyone hurt my friend."

"Bold words," a baritone voice agreed. The two turned away from each other, their eyes falling on a raven-haired man with a bandaged forehead. He smiled at them gently, and his earrings glinted in the sunlight. Gon readily smiled back, as usual, but Killua wasn't so easily won.

"Kurapika's inside," the assassin informed, figuring that the bodyguard was there to see their blonde friend.

"I know," he said, and the assassin's eyes narrowed. He didn't like where this conversation was headed, and nor did he particularly like the fact that the man seemed to know so much about Kurapika. "I came to talk to you two."

"Why?" Killua asked.

"Because you're Kurapika's friends," the man answered, simply, as he kneeled down to their eye level. "I want you to keep an eye on her."

"Isn't that your job?" Killua snapped. He really didn't like that man. Every step the man took seemed calculating, dangerous, like a spider spinning a web out of invisible threads. Before you knew it, the trap had already been sprung.

"Yes, but I'm a busy man with places to be. I'm afraid I can't be her personal stalker twenty-four seven," the man explained, tone still light as a feather.

"You want us to share the load?" Killua finished, understanding the request before it even left the psychologist's mouth.

"Indeed," he concurred.

"Okay!" Gon agreed. Kurapika was often with them anyway, so it didn't change much. Killua felt frustrated with her answer, but said nothing. He agreed.

"And," Chrollo continued. He had one more thing to ask of them, "report anything suspicious."

"Someone is after her then," Killua finally voiced their theory.

"Yes," Chrollo said, honestly, "but we're not sure who. The culprit's quite elusive. They never dirty their hands."

"They hire people." Killua was familiar with the notion. He could sense a hired job from a mile away.

"You could say that, yes." Chrollo's cryptic answers were unappreciated, but neither teen said anything. Gon was too excited at the prospect of actively helping out a friend, and Killua was too lazy to mention it.

"Tsk," the silver-haired assassin finally spoke, leaning back against the tree and closing his eyes, "we would've done so even without your asking."

"I'm glad to hear that," Chrollo chuckled, and Killua suddenly realized why Kurapika always felt so annoyed with him. The man was exasperating. He always acted like he knew everything.

"Bye, Mr. Lucilfer!" Gon yelled in her usual cheerful pitch, then in a much quieter tone. "Mr. Lucilfer takes him job really seriously. I think he really cares about Kurapika."

Killua opened one eye to make sure Gon wasn't joking. Then again, it was Gon. Gon never joked. "What makes you say that?"

"Dunno, just instincts, I guess," the girl repeated.

"Is everything you do based on instincts?"

"Dunno. I guess."

Killua grimaced slightly. He hoped the girl's instincts wouldn't get her killed one day. The world didn't show much mercy for naivety.

"Killua?"

"Yeah?"

"That man is staring at us."

Again?

Killua looked up to glare at whoever had the stupidity to stare at them, and was met with a truly terrifying sight. A man dressed in green with needles sticking out of his grayish face. He stared and stared and stared and the narrow eyes almost pierced through the younger man's soul. His presence was familiar, and yet he couldn't place it. It was too faint.

"Let's go," Killua announced, standing up. A surprised Gon followed suit silently. Her head tilted to the side slightly. Her friend didn't say anything, and just resumed walking to their dorm. Gon gave the needle man, who was still staring, one last curious look over her shoulder before following Killua inside.

Illumi heard footsteps approach him from the room behind him. He looked behind him to see Hisoka, his self-proclaimed "friend". The demented clown sat down on the steps with him, and gave him a glass of some strange liquid. Illumi gave it a skeptical stare. This drink better not be drugged.

"I'm surprised to see you here," Hisoka started, as he began to sip his own beverage.

"I came to bring Kil back," Illumi replied monotonously as he took a small swig from his own drink. It tasted alright.

"I still can't see how you two are related," Hisoka lamented. "He's such a cute kid. I hope he doesn't turn into you when he grows up. That won't be any fun at all."

Illumi gave him a glare, the type only an experienced could give. He'd kill Hisoka before he could even get within five steps of his precious Kil.

Hisoka shrank back a little from his friend. That killing aura sent chills down his spine, but he loved it so. The clown waited for the doting brother to calm down.

"Anyway," the clown changed the subject a bit too quickly. "It might be a bit tough for you to get him out of here."

"Oh? Why?"

"Little Kil's got himself a pretty new girlfriend now," the red-haired psychopath chuckled eerily.

The dark aura flew up again. Oh dear, apparently Illumi didn't like hearing about anyone having romantic relations with his kid brother.

"It's that green-haired girl I saw with him, right?"

Hisoka nodded.

"I'll just have to kill her then," Illumi decided, the killing aura gone in the blink of an eyes as the solution became apparent. Yes, he would save his little brother from the clutches of the vixen.

"What? No, I have dibs! I need to be the one to fight her!" Hisoka whined.

"Oh?" Illumi said. He slightly rearranged his plans. "Alright then. You can go fight her first. Then, I'll kill her."

"I can't fight her now. She's not ripe yet. We'll have to wait at least four more years," Hisoka complained, as he turned insistent golden eyes on his friend. Illumi frowned. Stupid puppy eyes.

"Alright, I won't kill her. I still have to get Kil to come back home," Illumi sighed. Having a friend to worry about was so troublesome.

"Just use your mind-control," Hisoka suggested, as he downed the last of his drink.

"I suppose I could just make him go on a killing spree," Illumi pondered, putting a finger to his chin.

"Cool."

"Why did you jump in front of me!?" The blonde had finally got around to the strong talking-to lined up for Leorio. They currently stood in the living room, trying to set the other on fire through some sort of telepathy. The blonde looked thoroughly angry, and Leorio was certain that if she didn't have contacts, her eyes would've been glowing red.

"Because I thought you were in danger!" The doctor retorted, annoyed that instead of thanking him, the girl had decided to be wholly ungrateful towards his sacrifice.

"So?"

"So?!"

"That's not a good enough reason to jump into the line of fire!" Kurapika snapped, crossing her arms across her chest. "You should've pushed me out of the way, or something!"

"I'm sorry that all I could come up with at that time was to shield you!"

"You should be!"

"Calm down, kids," a snicker came from behind them. Killua stood in the doorway with a curious Gon. The silver-haired assassin was utterly enjoying this situation to the last second, a sneaky smirk growing on his face.

"Killua, tell this man how much of an idiot he's being!" Kurapika demanded, pointing at Leorio.

"Hey Ossan! You're being an idiot!" Killua called with great delight on his part. Gon tilted her face in confusion. Why were they being so mean to Leorio?

 **Next on NAPP:**

 **Bisuke is coming! A few weeks had passed now, and everything's been pretty quiet up until now. Halloween's just around the corner, and Gon is just brimming with excitement. As is our beloved President. What does he have in store? And more importantly, what does Illumi have in store? And even more importantly, what's going to happen with the nen-user after Kurapika?**

 **Question of the Day: What do you think Netero's planning for Halloween?**

 **~ Replies to my Dearies ~**

 **Sweets Dreamer: YO! Hisoka is a magnificent creeper, isn't he? Kurapika needs people like Gon to break through those steel walls of hers. Man, your prediction is way better than anything I could've come up with. I could totally see it happening though. I'm so glad you have such a good grasp on the characters. As for the Katniss vibes, I'm not sure where they're coming from but I accept them since Katniss is a total bad*ss. Thank you so much for reviewing.**


	15. Crazy Blondes and Hisoka the Wingman

**Disclaimer: Do not own. Why? I'm just not good at the whole stealing thing.**

 **Chapter 15: Crazy Blondes and Hisoka the Wingman**

Biscuit Krueger daintily walked up the steps, enjoying the heads she turned. She looked fabulous today and she knew it. Her luscious golden locks were pulled into the cutest pigtails. Her sleeveless dress only added to the appearance of innocence. Together with her magenta shawl and pristine, white gloves, Biscuit looked like a rich, young lady of, at most, sixteen. Nobody would've guessed her to be a fifty-seven year old giant of a woman with a love for beautiful young adult men. Speaking of beautiful men, the young/old blonde could barely contain her excitement. Two of her new students were teenage men. Teenage! At the prime of their youth! They must be absolutely dashing!

She knocked on the door thrice in her usual sweet manner. Minutes passed and still no one answered. So, Biscuit knocked again. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Biscuit's foot started tapping frantically. She had half a mind to break the door down, but she knew how costly that could get. She paid at least a million jenny the last time. She still thought the old man only made her pay that much only because he knew she could afford it.

She knocked again, this time loudly and far more than just three times. The brats were probably still asleep. _Well_ , Biscuit thought, _let's see how long that lasts._ She continued to knock incessantly until someone finally opened the door.

Not one of the young men, Biscuit noted with slight disappointment. This was quickly swept under the rug however, because the ever-youthful woman knew how to count her blessing. The girl in front of her, while not of the male sex, was adorable nonetheless. And Biscuit was nothing, if not an avid fan of all things cute. The green-haired girl in front of her practically radiated innocence.

"Hello!" the girl greeted. Cheerfully. Indeed, much too cheerful for a woman who was just awoken at seven in the morning on a Saturday.

"Hello!" Bisuke-chan replied, cutely. "My name is Biscuit Krueger, but please call me Bisuke-chan! I'll be taking over for Senritsu-san as your Resident Advisor."

"Really!" Amber eyes glowed in amazement. "But you look so young! You must be a really amazing person, Bisuke-chan!"

Yes, Biscuit definitely liked this one. She could only hope the rest of the brats were as well-behaved as her.

"Gon, what's going on?" a woman's tired voice suddenly spoke. A blonde woman suddenly appeared in the doorway behind the green-haired girl - Gon - and Biscuit immediately saw potential in her as well. The brown-eyed blonde had a bit more of a mature atmosphere about her. Cold, dark, distant. She didn't have an ounce of the warmth that Gon possessed. However, Biscuit could easily work with that. Yes, a blue dress would go nicely with her skin tone and hair. Perhaps, a black ribbon in the hair would suffice. She could be like Alice in Wonderland.

"Kurapika! This is Bisuke-chan, our new resident advisor!" Gon explained excitedly, and Biscuit could swear she saw the blonde's face thaw a bit at the younger girl's display. An Ice Queen with a heart of gold, Biscuit concluded.

"Would you like to come in?" Kurapika asked, as she and Gon stepped out of the doorway. Bisuke-chan smiled a charming smile.

"Yes, please," she replied, and stepped into the dorm. "Waaaa, it's so pretty in here! You guys do a good job taking care of this place!"

"Thank you," Kurapika said, gratefully. "What did you say your name was again?"

Was that a hint of suspicion Biscuit detected? Undoubtedly. This was a test.

"Biscuit Krueger," Bisuke-chan replied, her voice sweet as honey as usual. "I used to be a teacher a long time ago, but I retired and decided to be a Secret Sector tutor instead."

"Secret Sector?" Kurapika asked.

"You'll hear about it soon enough," Biscuit said, smiling all the way.

"Retired?" Gon suddenly spoke.

Bisuke-chan turned to her, still smiling. "Believe it or not, Gon-chan, I'm actually a lot older than I look."

Gon looked at her with wide eyes of pure admiration. Biscuit felt her ego swell. Finally, some well-earned attention!

"You guys are so noisy," a new voice - definitely male - approached them. Messy silver hair and drowsy cerulean eyes: Beautiful. "Who's the hag?"

Hag!? The image of beauty shattered into a thousand pieces. Not even the most beautiful of men could make up for a rotten personality.

"My name is Biscuit Krueger!" the blonde narcissist introduced herself in that same cheerful voice, as if the child hadn't uttered one word against her, "but please call me Bisuke-chan!"

"I'm going back to sleep," the boy announced, ignoring Biscuit completely.

Biscuit saw Gon tilt her head to the side in confusion. So, this wasn't the kid's default personality. Could it be that he disliked her? Impossible, everyone loved Bisuke-chan. Everyone!

"I'm sorry about that, Miss Krueger. It was very rude of him," Kurapika suddenly apologized on the boy's behalf. What was she? His mother?

"Oh, it's alright!" Bisuke-chan replied. "I understand! It's really early in the morning, and he must be tired."

"Bisuke-chan?" Gon asked.

"Yes, Gon-chan?"

"Are you going to be staying with us?" Gon pointed to the numerous bags being brought in by a small army of men in black suits.

"Of course!" Bisuke-chan exclaimed. "I'm a live-in RA. We live with the students to make sure they're doing well!" _And so they wouldn't goof off and do idiotic things._

"That must be a tough job!" Gon said, genuinely, still looking at her in amazement.

"It's really fun too, though!" Bisuke-chan chattered, excitedly.

"Keep it down!" a man's gravelly voice suddenly shouted from one of the bedrooms in the corridor.

"Sorry, Leorio," Gon called back, sheepishly.

Leorio. What a noble name. Surely he would live up to Biscuit's expectations.

The small army of men in black suits started putting her bags in the last available room. Biscuit followed them. She admired the layers of pink on the room's walls. So cute. A bed stood in the corner, white with a pink and purple comforter. The magenta carpet under her feet felt nice and fluffy. Yes, this will do nicely.

The blonde woman collapsed onto the bed, arms wide open as if to hug the air. This was gonna be some ride.

* * *

"What d'you think this is about?" a passing student asked his friend as they headed for the auditorium. At exactly three o'clock in the afternoon on the first Sunday of October, Netero called the entire school over for an emergency meeting. Of course, no one knew why. They only knew that it was mandatory.

One by one, students and staff alike filed into the giant room. Gon and Killua, who had gotten separated from their friends, quickly found some comfortable seats in the middle of the room. Just as the adrenaline from navigating through the crowd had leveled off again, a sly voice spoke from the seats behind them, sending shivers down their spines.

"Nice view, isn't it?" Hisoka commented, his voice as deranged as ever.

"H-hai, Hisoka-san!" Gon stuttered. Even she couldn't deny the man creeped her out sometimes. Hisoka smiled at the amber eyed girl's reply.

"Oh look, there's Danchou and your little friend." Hisoka threw a pointed look towards Kurapika and Chrollo. The Kurtan avenger currently sat beside her psychopathic bodyguard, apparently engaged in an almost-civil conversation. Gon had noticed her friend had warmed up to Mr. Lucilfer in the last few weeks. Kurapika explained that her tolerance for him had grown, but Gon knew she was starting to like him. You couldn't be with someone for so long and not learn to like them at least a little bit. Maybe soon, Kurapika and Lucilfer-san would be friends. Gon hoped so. She wanted everyone to be friends.

Speaking of friends, Gon scanned the room for Leorio. There he was with Neon. They were definitely arguing.

"SHUT UP!" The room suddenly went silent at the comment. On the stage, stood the scantily dressed Menchi, hands on her hips and a deathly glare in her eyes. "THE PRESIDENT'S COMING!"

As if on cue, the old man waltzed onto the stage. Quite literally, waltzed onto the stage. A one-man waltz, but a waltz nonetheless. Gon vaguely caught Kurapika very visibly face-palming.

"Idiot," Killua muttered. "Is he related to Kurapika?"

Gon didn't get to answer, because right then the President spoke.

"'Sup, kids!" Netero greeted. "I've called you all here to announce a very important upcoming event."

"Please not more exams," Gon heard someone mutter behind her. She couldn't help but agree.

"I call it the Hallow's Eve Dance Extravaganza!" The President declared, raising his hands in the air for emphasis. The auditorium burst into excited chatter. "On the 31st of this month exactly. If you wish to sign up for the planning committee, please do. We need as much help as we can get!"

Gon turned towards Killua, silently asking him a simple question.

"No." His answer was just as simple.

"Why not?" Gon complained.

"It's too much work," Killua explained.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee?" Gon pleaded. Killua made the mistake of looking at her. At those vibrant, begging amber eyes and pretty pout. He didn't dare look down at their joined hands. Why did she have to be so . . . so . . . damn adorable?

"Okay, fine," he finally agreed, finally breaking eye contact. Gon's face lit up like a light bulb. She beamed at him with her rows of pearly whites and squeezed his hand with both of hers. No, he wasn't blushing. Whatever gave you that idea?

"Hmmm, how cute," Hisoka cooed, as he propped his elbows up on the two chairs in front of him, which just so happened to be Gon and Killua's, and rested his chin on his palm.

"Tickets will be given out soon," Netero said. "So make sure to find yourself a nice date or group of friends."

And Killua's mind didn't just directly go to Gon when he heard the word 'date'. Not at all. They were just friends, after all.

"We should go together," Gon said, excitedly.

"Wh- what?" the usually cold Killua stammered. This time, Gon blushed. Apparently, she wasn't as oblivious as she looked.

"A-as friends," she added quickly.

"Oh." He was _not_ disappointed. Not at all.

"You're both blushing now. So cute ~ You should just kiss. I'll even join in, if you want," Hisoka interrupted again.

Killua wasn't sure if he wanted to punch the clown, or die of embarrassment.

"With my help, you might -" Hisoka got cut off when something bounced of his gelled hair. The red-haired man turned, but Killua couldn't make out what he was looking at. He shrugged and turned back to the stage, counting the clown's distraction as a blessing. He didn't even want to think about what he was about to say. Definitely not.

* * *

"I can't believe he waltzed out as well," Kurapika muttered, holding a cool hand to her forehead.

Chrollo chuckled, "he certainly knows how to direct attention towards himself. It probably served him well all these years."

"I should go find the others," Kurapika announced, standing up. Chrollo gently grabbed her arm before she could take another step.

"Don't bother. You'll never reach them in this mob," Chrollo informed. Kurapika surveyed the said mob and relented, plopping back down in her seat. Why even bother trying to get through that chaos?

"Fine," she mumbled. "We'll wait for it to die down."

Chrollo hummed his agreement. Kurapika vaguely heard Gon yelling that they'll meet up back at the dorms.

Kurapika glanced back at Chrollo, and found herself staring at the teal globular earrings.

"Those earrings. What are they for?" Kurapika finally voiced one of the many questions she had for the man.

"Oh, those," Chrollo said, monotonously, "nothing, really."

Kurapika stared at him. And stared. And stared.

"What?"

"I doubt that somehow."

"Why is that?" Chrollo asked with genuine curiosity. Then again, most of actions were genuine.

"Well, I doubt they're just a fashion statement," Kurapika unconsciously joked. Curse him for making her so comfortable. Where was the impenetrable fortress of complete impassiveness?

Chrollo chuckled. A nice, warm laugh that somehow contrasted with the rest of his appearance. "They were a gift from my parents."

"Oh," Kurapika said. She already knew enough about Chrollo's past to know his parents weren't exactly caring individuals. He didn't like to talk about them, and the Kurta respected that.

"What about your earring?" Chrollo asked. "What's its story?"

"Oh this?" Kurapika asked as she gently caressed the red gem. "I'm not really sure. I guess I've always had it."

Chrollo smiled at her gently, his eyes somehow lost in another time. Then, he reached out and touched the red gem as well, his fingers feathering it. Kurapika briefly wondered if she should push him away, but before she could even act on the thought, the man was gone.

"I hope you remember someday," he muttered, almost to himself. Then he met her eyes, smiling almost peacefully. Kurapika wondered what he meant by that. The only conclusion seemed to be that they'd met before, but that was impossible. Surely, she'd remember someone so strange.

"Let's get going," Chrollo said, suddenly rising from his seat. "Your friends will be worried."

Kurapika nodded. Leorio was probably close to a heart attack by now. She followed the man out of the auditorium silently. They stepped into the sunlight and Kurapika waited for her eyes to adjust to the brightness. She didn't miss the whooshing sound of a pen flying past her. The Kurta looked in the general direction of the weapon's path. True to her predictions, a man lay there. She could tell he was unconscious, but nothing more. The blonde could only note with slight relief that the attacker wasn't dead.

"They're getting bolder," Chrollo suddenly pointed out. "Soon, they might even start breaking into your dorms. In groups."

It was the fourth incident that day, and Kurapika desperately hoped they wouldn't make a habit of it. If Chrollo's instincts were to be trusted, however, this would just be the beginning. He'd told her, of course, that someone was after her eyes. Netero had apparently told him about who she really was when he gave him the job.

Kurapika sighed. There always had to be someone out there after her. Why couldn't she just be born into a normal family, one without the Scarlet Eyes? Surely, everything would've been simpler that way. She shook the thought out of her head. Kurapika was a Kurta with pride, her Scarlet Eyes were a part of her heritage and she loved them for that. Besides, the Scarlet Eyes weren't the problem, it was the people after them. People like the Phantom Troupe.

Kurapika's hands clenched into fists at the thought of her enemies. Her thirst for their blood, for her revenge, suddenly welling up inside of her. Her vision went red for a second, but then quickly returned to normal. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"Hallow's Eve," Chrollo suddenly started, successfully distracting the angered Kurta.

"What?" she asked, her voice curious.

"Are you going?" he said, conversationally. Kurapika stared at him with large, black, disbelieving orbs,

"If you're asking me to go with you, I'm afraid I'll have to decline," Kurapika said, still gazing up at him incredulously.

Chrollo chuckled, "I'm afraid you're still a bit too young for my liking. Furthermore, you're still a student. I'm simply curious, I could give you suggestions."

Suggestions? He'll probably pair her up with some pervert just to annoy her.

"No thanks, I'm not going," she announced, finally turning away and quickening her pace.

"Oh? How come?"

"I hate dancing," she answered, simply. That wasn't completely true. She hadn't celebrated any holidays since her family died. Not even when she found Leorio again a few years after the massacre. Everytime she even thought about celebrating, she remembered her family's lifeless bodies, eyes gouged out and bloodied faces.

"I see." He didn't buy it, and Kurapika knew that. She appreciated the silence that followed. He would leave the subject alone. "What shall we do then?"

"Do? We?" Kurapika asked. She had no intention of spending the night with him, any night in fact.

"Your friends seem far more excited about it than you. I'm sure they won't be missing it. The Zoldyck boy would just go to keep an eye on Ging's daughter. Which leaves you alone with me."

Kurapika stared at him, wondering why he knew so much about her friends. Netero probably told him.

 _Which leaves you alone with me._

Kurapika's face grew hot. He just had to say it like that.

 _You're still a bit too young for my liking._

Right. There's no need to look too deeply into this. He was just stating the facts. They had no romantic interest in each other in any way, shape, or form. It was completely unprofessional to even think of such a thing.

 **Next on NAPP:**

 **It's time to make preparations for the dance, and guess who's seizing the reigns of the Planning Committee. That's right: Kurapika! Natural born leader, right there. And don't you worry. More Bisuke is on its way**

 **A/N: I really hope the pacing is still alright. Sometimes, I feel like it's too slow and other times it's too fast. And now we have two tsunderes in the mix.**

 **Question of the Day: Who's going with who?**

 **Question of the Day #2: How's Bisuke? She was amazingly fun to right.**

 **Replies To My Lovely Reviewers:**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so much for actually reviewing. It makes my heart swell and my writer's blocks disappear : ) Anyway, I'm pretty sure everyone in the Hunter x Hunter universe needs a therapist. Illumi, especially. And Chrollo is actually both Kurapika's bodyguard and psychologist. Though, he's really everyone's psychologist. He has a bit of an obsession with human nature in the manga, so I thought it would be the perfect job for him. He's Kurapika's bodyguard so he could be unreasonably in close proximity to her at all times without being a Hisoka. I'm really, really, really happy to know you enjoyed this chappie. Hugs!**

 **End of Replies**

 **To Everyone: Dudes, you realize the more reviews I get, the faster I update, right? So support the authoress, and click that pretty box below and type something and send it. What? I like getting feedback. No matter what, I will appreciate it : )**

 **Love you guys. See you next chapter.**


	16. Preparations and Kurapika the Boss

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter. I can't own nice things anymore.**

 **Chapter 16: Preparations and Kurapika the Boss**

Kurapika's hands worked quickly as she intricately folded the paper into a neat representation of a swan.

"How can you do that so fast?" Gon asked in amazement, having abandoned her own paper a few minutes ago in favor of watching Kurapika making hers.

"My mother taught me when I was a child," Kurapika answered, fondly. She remembered when her mother showed her how to make her first swan vividly. They had been making decorations for a party taking place in the Village Square. Kurapika had been a far less patient child back then.

 _"But mom," she'd whined. "It takes too long."_

 _Her mother had smiled. Kurapika always loved it when she smiled. It always lit up the room, and everything seemed a little brighter._

 _"Well, Kura, if you keep at it long enough, eventually you won't have to wait so long," she reassured._

 _"But it's impossible!" the little blonde Kurta complained, raising her hands in the air to show her frustration._

 _Her mother tapped her head with one of her own completed swans. "Nothing's impossible if you work hard enough. No matter what you want to achieve." She placed another sheet in her hands._

Kurapika hoped her mother's rule applied to murderous vendettas as well.

 _Rip!_

Kurapika looked down at her hands to see a now destroyed, patterned piece of paper. She had lost her cool again.

Gon offered her another piece of paper. Kurapika accepted it gratefully.

"Hey! Who made these things?!" an angry voice suddenly screeched. A young woman was pointing at bright pink glittery stars.

"I did," Neon suddenly spoke, picking herself off the floor and crossing her arms. "Is there a problem?"

"They're tacky," the woman said, bluntly. Neon glared at her, indignantly.

"Excuse me. These stars can be seen at every high-class home in the world. They're a Licci classic. Not that I expect _you_ to understand," Neon spat, surveying the blue-clad woman with a clear distaste.

Gon and Kurapika exchanged a look. This didn't look good.

"Ha!" the other girl laughed, "You have some nerve, you little b****."

Kurapika sighed. Time to get involved. The blonde reluctantly got up.

"What did you just call me? I am a Nostrade! You should show me some respect!" Neon screeched. Kurapika resisted the urge to cover her ears. Why were people so loud?

"That's enough out of both of you," she said, her voice commanding. Both girls turned to look at her. "Neon, who told you to make those stars?"

Neon's eyes widened at the Kurta's voice. It was so gentle, so calm, and yet, so demanding. It was . . . mysterious. She was. "Um . . . nobody, but nobody told us to do anything. They just said to make decorations!"

"Is that so?" Kurapika said, more to herself. She placed a finger to her chin in a pondering gesture. "I see. How about you two work together."

"What?!" they both screamed. Kurapika smiled.

"You heard me. You're going to team up, and make . . ." Kurapika paused to think, "chains. Paper chains. We can hang them up over the stage where the singers will be. You both know how to make paper chains, right?"

Silence surrounded them. The two girls stared at her with blank faces. Kurapika smirked this time.

"I'll teach you," Kurapika said. Taking some of the colorful paper and a stapler off a nearby desk. She cut it into strips and then proceeded to put together her chains. She remembered doing this with Pairo for various Kurtan festivals. The memory brought a smile to her face. Pairo and her making crowns and wreaths and necklaces. All out of paper chains. "There." She held up her finished chains. "Make about fifty more of these."

"Fifty!" the first girl screamed, her pretty face paling.

"But that's too many," Neon whined.

"Not," Kurapika started, pausing a second to make sure they were listening, "if you work together. Understood?"

The two reluctantly nodded, and took the offered chain in Kurapika's hands. They quickly got to work, neither wanted to stay overnight finishing their fifty chains.

Kurapika let out a sigh of relief. Finally, some peace and quiet.

Wait.

Too quiet.

The Kurta slowly turned out to see a hall of nearly three hundred students circled around her. She stared at them. They stared back. She tried to avert her eyes and find a way to Gon on the other side of the crowd. No such luck. She grimaced at the amused grin on Chrollo's face. The man stood by the entrance and showed no signs of coming to her rescue. Some bodyguard he was turning out to be.

"Yes?" Kurapika drawled, nervously.

"Are you the boss?" one person asked. Kurapika raised her arms up, about to refute the answer when the next person decided it was their turn to speak.

"Can you tell us what to do? 'Cause we're completely lost," the young man asked. They all looked at her with expectant eyes.

"I . . . um . . . well," Kurapika stuttered. She really wasn't much of a leader, especially not an impromptu one. She hated being in the spotlight.

"You can do it, Kurapika!" Gon suddenly yelled from behind the crowd. Kurapika smiled. Well, if Gon believed in her.

"Alright then, Kura," she whispered, as she sat down at one of the desks. She picked up a pen. "Alright, you in the pink with the green hair! Yes, you! What's your name?"

The young man in the pink with the green hair stuttered out a reply, "m-my name i-is V-V-Varian."

"Alright, Varian," Kurapika said, scribbling down his name in the shiny, purple ink the pen supplied, "how about you start working on creating tickets for students to buy. Oh, you're in a publishing lab? Perfect, why don't you help create posters then, as well? We won't need the tickets until the finally week. Good. I know you'll do great! Next, you, in the green dress."

And Kurapika continued giving a variety of occupations to the three hundred people in the room. All while knowing she had no real idea what she was doing. Gon was so proud of her!

***A Few Hours Later***

Gon's face turned down into a worried frown. Her friend hadn't taken even one break - not even a bathroom break - while she worked with her fellow students.

"Boss!"

Gon's frown deepened. She wished they'd just leave her friend alone for a second!

"Here," Killua said, offering her some wrapped melon bread. Gon accepted it, but her concerned eyes never left her blonde friend. "She's still working?"

Gon nodded, while biting into the melon bread.

Killua frowned. Gon wasn't supposed to be quiet and somber. She was worried. Therefore, he was worried. That seemed to be the case with most things nowadays. He needed to do something to out her mind at ease.

"Oi," he called, turning towards the man behind them, who had been watching the whole scene expressionlessly, "Lucilfer. Tell her to stop and take a break."

"What makes you think she'll listen to me?" he asked, curiously. He didn't make a move to say anything to the Kurta, however.

"You're her bodyguard," he deadpanned. "Aren't you supposed to make sure she's doing okay."

"I still don't see why that would make her listen to me," he said. "I'm her bodyguard, but when it comes to talking some sense into her, I'm as useless as anyone else. Besides, it's almost time to close up shop. She'll get some rest soon."

And they all took a moment to pray to their respectful deities to help Kurapika reach sense by that time.

***One Week Later***

Chrollo scrutinized every aspect of Kurapika's pale, sickly face. The color had been completely drained from her usually tinted cheeks. Dark circles had formed around her beautiful eyes. Her eyelids kept falling from time to time, but she forced them open. She suddenly tripped and the man reached out to help keep her from falling.

The girl was at least three days past her bedtime. Being a psychologist, Chrollo understood the importance of sleep. As he watched the girl stumble along the path to the school across from her dorm, he knew her sleeping schedule had been thrown completely off balance and it wasn't happy about it.

The girl had been so focused on keeping everything running smoothly around her that she'd completely forgotten to do what she must to keep herself running smoothly.

She couldn't go on like this. She wasn't even that interested in the dance itself. The Kurta was simply the type of person who thrust her entire soul into her work.

Now, how to go around to stop her from going any further with her planning? He could reason with her, but she would stick her heels in and create well-worded counter arguments. No, this required something a little more . . . forceful. He'd have to take her by surprise.

And that he did. He looped one arm under her knees, one around her shoulders, and carried her back in the direction of the dorms.

"What are you doing?" she managed to hiss out, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. This was completely unprofessional! And not romantic at all!

"You need to sleep," he answered, simply, bringing her a little closer to his body so that she wouldn't end up wringing his neck.

"Okay, I'll sleep when I come home. I have class right now," she reasoned with her madman of a bodyguard. He's the one in need of a psychologist, not her!

"Nope."

"No?"

"I'm calling you in," he announced, cheerfully.

"But," she started. She was not one to ditch class without a good reason.

"Kurapika," he said firmly, "you're going to sleep and that's the end of it. You're not able to function properly like this."

"I'm able to function just fine," she said, indignantly.

"You barely made it through the dorm without bumping into something," he countered. They entered the shade of the dormitory building, and he started to climb the steps.

"I can walk," Kurapika said.

"No, you can't," Chrollo replied, remembering the many times she nearly tripped that morning.

* * *

The door suddenly swung open and in came Chrollo with a very flustered Kurta in his arms. Biscuit watched from the television set, as he carefully set her down in one of the chairs. He then cupped her face with both hands and mumbled some things that didn't reach even Biscuit's ears. He then straightened, gave Kurapika a pointed look.

"Fine," Kurapika finally consented, crossing her arms over her chest. "But after this, it'll be like nothing ever happened.

Chrollo smiled at the girl, fondness practically seeping from him. Biscuit was pretty sure there was something written in _The Book of Rules_ , written by Netero, that clearly limits the intentions of staff members towards students.

But they were cute together, so she let it slide. Besides, a smiling Chrollo looked even more attractive than a brooding one.

The man suddenly turned towards the other blonde. "Make sure she gets some rest."

"Alright," Bisuke agreed, ignoring the way the Kurta's frown deepened at what she probably deemed a betrayal. "C'mon, Miss Kurapika, off to bed with you!"

Biscuit herded the defeated Kurta to her room. The girl's brow creased with worry.

"Hey," Biscuit suddenly called, losing her cutesy persona for a few seconds, "you'll get wrinkles if you frown so much."

Kurapika rolled her eyes.

"If it helps you sleep," Biscuit suddenly offered. "I could get your school work for you and take over the committee for a few seconds. I'm a surprisingly good leader."

Kurapika stared at her for a few seconds, surprised. Then, she smiled. "If it's not too much trouble. That would be great, Ms. Krueger. Thank you."

Bisuke-chan smiled back at the girl. Kurapika looked much cuter when she smiled. It was such a shame she decided not to go to the dance. Biscuit would've picked out the perfect dress for her. Red seemed to be her color, though Biscuit had no doubt that blue would also look good. Ah, decisions, decisions. She would definitely force the younger girl into a dress one day.

* * *

Kurapika's eyes fluttered open. Her shoulder throbbed dully. Odd. She must've slept wrong, or something. The Kurta shrugged off the easily ignored pain, shifted a little on the bed and sank a bit deeper into the warmth, fully expecting to fall back asleep.

"Feel better?" A familiar voice slashed through her plans. Always him.

Kurapika shot up in her bed to see Chrollo staring at her with that same teasing, somehow fond look that he always gave her.

"What are you doing in my room?" Kurapika demanded.

"Doing some light reading," he explained, lifting up his red hardcover book, "and holding down the fort. We don't anyone sneaking in here, do we?"

"The way you did?"

Chrollo chuckled, "and you didn't even stir. A heavy sleeper, aren't you? All the more reason to be here with you."

Kurapika fell back on the bed. "How's the committee?"

"Not telling," he answered, teasingly. Kurapika glared at him. Why did he have to take things so lightly?

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because you're letting go of your position for a few days," he answered. Kurapika lay there in shock. Chrollo waited a few seconds for her to catch up.

"What?!" She sat up on the bed again. This time leaning in towards Chrollo, their faces inches apart. "I can't just leave for a few days!"

Chrollo pushed her away gently, but Kurapika's eyes didn't soften. The man gave her an infuriatingly carefree smile.

"Biscuit will take care of them," he reassured. "Besides, you need this. If you're going to pour your entire soul into something, at least take breaks in between. This isn't healthy. I'm telling you this as your psychologist."

Kurapika fumed for a few minutes but considered his words. "Alright, fine. I'll rest, but you have to promise everything will be kept in order."

It was his turn to lean in. "Deal." And he leaned in a little more. And he kissed her.

A soft peck on the cheek, but a kiss nonetheless. Kurapika watched in shock as he leaned back in his chair with a smug expression on his face. The Kurta would've blushed, but she had enough self-respect to contain herself. Instead, she fell back against the headboard.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"Around two in the afternoon," he answered, focusing on the book in his hands again.

Her friends wouldn't be back for another few hours. What shall she do in the process?

"How about a round of chess?" Chrollo suddenly suggested, as if he'd read her mind. He suddenly pulled out a game board.

Kurapika looked at him, clearly interested. She had always had a soft spot for chess. Problem was she always won. Perhaps, Chrollo would give her a run for her money.

She nodded, and Chrollo sat down on the opposite side of the bed. Soon, the pieces were in position, and Kurapika took a white knight and made her first move.

Strange, she didn't quite remember learning how to play chess. Neither of her parents were particularly fond of the game, so she was certain it hadn't been their doing. Who had it been? She simply couldn't recall.

Chrollo responded, sending out his own counter move, and Kurapika suddenly felt a strange sense of Deja vu.

Probably nothing.

 **NEXT ON NAPP:**

 **Love is in the air for KilluGon. Leorio and Neon come to a strange alliance. Bisuke is dragging people off for shopping. And Kurapika returns to the tearful embraces of her people (the planning committee).**

 **(A/N: Man, I have no idea about chess. It's just something really smart, strategic people do, so I was like, yeah, that's KuroKura's fave game. Hope you all liked Boss! Kurapika and Worried!Chrollo. Hope you also liked the little kiss on the cheek.)**

 **~ Replies To Reviewers ~**

 **Sweets Dreamer: I hope you like the KuroKura in here too. They're such an interesting pairing to write about together. I always wonder what would happen if Chrollo wasn't an evil murderer. I feel like they have a lot more in common than most would like to believe. Indeed, you can't complain. Hisoka is totally going to try playing the perverted cupid man. Thanks for reviewing as usual! Hope you liked the chapter.**

 **Tigerhiddeninshadows: : ) Thanks for reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chappie.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To All My Readers: Thank you for coming this far on our insane journey. I really hope you had a swell time reading this chapter, and I hope to hear from you soon. Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review if you would be so kind. Thank you, and I'll see you in the next installment of NAPP!**


	17. The Boss Returns to Her People

**Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN! OBVIOUSLY! Not yet, anyway.**

 **Chapter 17: Boss Returns to her People**

Chrollo gazed at the pale girl before him. She'd fallen asleep again, after several rounds of chess. Each time, they tied. The Kurta had learned a lot over the last few years. Of course, he hadn't tried as hard as he perhaps should've. It would've been too much work. A good game nonetheless, he could see her beating him for real one day.

The girl suddenly stirred in her sleep. Her peaceful face fell.

They were starting.

Kurapika jerked to the left, then right. Her breathing turned shallow. Her hands flung up as if to hit something, someone. A tear rolled down her cheek.

Chrollo watched as the girl tossed and turned in her sleep. Never awake, but in so much pain that you might think she was enduring something very real. _She was_ , Chrollo amended, _though not in the physical sense._ He reached out to brush away some golden hair from her forehead. The cool touch seemed to calm her somewhat.

The girl suddenly shot up in her bed, opened her mouth and screamed a bloodcurdling cry.

Nevermind.

Chrollo confirmed that she wasn't awake, and in fact, not at all in control of her actions. Night terrors were formidable things. Often, a patient could find they procured injuries in their sleep. Though, that would mostly be in extreme cases.

This was an extreme case.

He gripped her shoulders and pushed her back down gently, finding himself partly on the bed once more. The girl fought against him, twisting and thrashing around frantically. Then came the kicking. Her knee narrowly missed a jab to his stomach. He released her, hoping the new lack of contact would soothe her. It didn't. Chrollo found himself at a crossroads: Either wait for it to pass or comfort her in some way. A few hours ago, he'd let nature take its course. He hadn't failed to notice the way Kurapika's shoulder had twitched. An injury she probably didn't notice. A slight discomfort she probably passed off as a symptom of bad sleeping posture. Next time, she might not be able to ignore it as easily.

She screamed again, and Chrollo made his decision. He wrapped her, engulfed her, in his arms. Just as she had all those years ago. He lay beside her on the bed, holding her until she calmed down. Her motions were far more restricted. Soon, she stopped moving, perhaps finally relaxing. Or giving up.

"Chrollo?" a voice suddenly spoke, and suddenly he was being pushed away from the Kurta. "What the hell are you doing?"

Or waking up.

"You were thrashing around too much. It wouldn't be gentlemanly of me to allow you to accidentally injure yourself in your sleep," he said, cordially.

Kurapika glared at him, not buying a word as usual. "It's not gentlemanly to sneak into a lady's room and embrace her without her knowledge."

"I'm not so sure about the lady part," Chrollo teased, turning to lay on his back instead of his side.

"I'm quite certain I am a dignified member of the female species."

Oh, he knew. He was the one who had been embracing her a few seconds ago.

"Agree to disagree," he settled. Kurapika rolled her eyes, but he could see the faint glimmer of a smile on her face. She sat up in bed, and leaned her head against the headboard.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Oi, Kurapika, open up! We need your help with something!" Killua called from the other side. Kurapika moved to get up, but Chrollo raised an arm to stop her. The man then got up himself and walked over to the door. Killua was thoroughly surprised to see him there.

"What have you two been doing?" Killua reasonably asked. A woman on the threshold of adulthood, a man with a clear fondness for said woman, a dimly lit room. Not to mention the disheveled appearance of both. He should probably keep this a secret from Leorio. Maybe. It'd be pretty funny to see his expression. No. Gon would be worried.

"Killua?" a sweet voice asked. "What's going on?"

Killua slammed the door closed again. Then, he turned to Gon with a giant, sparkly smile and ushered her away.

"Kurapika still needs some more time to rest," he lied fluidly. In the back of his mind, he was screaming. How the hell did she go from hating him a little more than a month ago to . . . to . . . that!? He just didn't understand these people. It was a good thing he'd volunteered to go in first.

"What's going on, you two?" Biscuit asked, looking at them quizzically from across the room. "Where is Kurapika?"

"Resting," Killua answered, quickly.

"Still?" Biscuit said, surprised and perhaps a bit annoyed. "Those idiots really wore her out, didn't they?"

Biscuit had long since dropped her Bisuke-chan persona. The "imbeciles" in the Planning Committee had drawn the last straw. She snapped after fifteen minutes. Eventually, Gon, and Killua by association, had to drag her out of the Hall, because she became more of a slave driver than a leader. Lots of important people sent their kids to Netero's Academy. It wouldn't look good for the school if the students started complaining about the poor working conditions. After they got Biscuit out, Killua decided Kurapika's leadership might be a necessity. Then he went to Kurapika's room, only to be met by that deadly, oddly disheveled man. The ex-assassin shivered. This was so wrong on so many levels.

"Killua, Gon," a voice suddenly spoke up from behind them. Kurapika stood in the doorway, still in her light blue pajamas and her usually impeccable hair unkempt.

"Kurapika!" Gon said, stepping closer to the woman. "Are you feeling better now?"

Kurapika smiled warmly. "Yes, much better. Thank you, Gon."

Gon beamed. She always beamed, no matter how insignificant the good news might be. It was so easy to win that smile. Why did it always feel like it was the first time he saw the expression on her face?

"Are you okay with coming back tomorrow?" Killua asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed to take a break," she reassured. Chrollo suddenly appeared behind her.

"That should really be longer," he added, unhelpfully. The smile on Kurapika's face vanished.

"Shut up, Chrollo," she snapped, harshly, the words spoken so quickly that her friends could barely make them out.

* * *

"Boss!" a sobbing voice called. Varian suddenly lunged at her, wrapping his arms around her torso. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and started sobbing harder. Kurapika gave him an awkward pat on the back. Varian felt two glaring eyes boring into his back, but he ignored them. His boss was back! This called for a celebration!

Then, he remembered Kurapika didn't really like parties. Maybe they should all buy her a present instead.

"Hello, Varian," his boss greeted, a bit of humor laced her voice. He sniffled a bit. He missed her voice, soft and gentle and warm. Not at all like the scary woman that had taken her place: A place that could never be filled by anyone else.

"Don't ever leave us again, 'kay?" he asked. The glare directed towards him intensified.

"Alright, alright," she agreed. "Can you release me now? I think my ribs are cracking."

He did so. If her ribs became fractured, Kurapika would need to go to the hospital. In other words, she wouldn't be able to lead them, which meant they'd be stuck with the scary woman again.

With tears streaming down his face, he offered the older girl a crooked smile. The girl returned it with her own smile, a perfect one. He liked it when she smiled. She usually looked so somber, especially when she thought no one was looking.

"Neon, stop glaring," a voice commanded from behind the blue-haired girl. "If you want to hug her as well, just walk up and do it."

Neon turned on her new friend and designated committee partner, "I can't do that, Char! I, unlike him, have some self-respect!"

Charissa looked up at her, quizzically, probably wondering how her friend found a way to balance screaming and whispering so well.

"Then stop glaring, it's freaky," Charissa repeated, as she started working on her next jack o'lantern. Not an actual pumpkin, but an actual lantern. They were going to hang them up from the ceiling. It had been Kurapika's idea, of course. She didn't even spare a glance at her love-struck friend.

"How can you just sit there like nothing's happened?" Neon demanded, pointing at her frantically, blue eyes wide and panicky.

"Because I knew she'd come back."

That shut her up.

Neon suddenly caught something out of the corner of her eye. That man. The old-looking one with spiky hair and glasses. The one she got into an argument with at Netero's meeting. The one who Kurapika seemed closest with. A few words from the man and Kurapika was chuckling. Neon frowned. They had never made her laugh like that.

An idea suddenly formed in her brain. Perhaps, she and the man could help each other. She could ask him out to the dance, and he could help her get closer to the object of her affections. Yes, that would work.

So, with the grace of a true aristocrat, Neon sauntered up to her target and asked if he would come to some place private so they could talk. He had initially tried to refuse, much to Neon's surprised dismay, but was eventually convinced to go by no other than a certain brown-eyed friend. Kurapika was clearly under the impression that Neon had fallen for Leorio.

* * *

"Would you like to go to the dance with me?" Neon asked, smiling bashfully. She'd learned a thing or two from Biscuit about the importance of being cute.

"Not really," Leorio answered, truthfully, as he glanced around the small garden Neon had dragged him out to.

Neon almost dropped her smile, but she forced it to stick. "And why not, Paladiknight?"

"I don't really like you in that way, and I know you don't either," Leorio continued, as his eyes fell on a bush of spider lilies. Neon wondered what about those flowers had captivated him so. He looked so somber all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Neon asked.

"Nothing. I just remembered something," he answered. Neon doubted it was nothing.

"It's never nothing. What did you remember?" Neon pressed. She didn't like it when people turned gloomy. It made her forget the important things.

"It . . ."

"It?"

"It's not really my story to tell."

Something told Neon that it was Kurapika's. So, the girl had some skeletons in the closet. She couldn't wait to know what they were. How mysterious. How exciting. Maybe they could compare skeletons.

"I understand. I hope that story stops haunting you someday," Neon finally said. Leorio's eyes shot back to her. Neon smiled.

"Let's go together," Leorio spoke. Neon tilted her head to the side in confusion. "As friends."

Oh. Well, not exactly what she had in mind, but that worked too.

Kurapika's foot tapped impatiently on the car's floor. She should've known better than to expect she'd get out of dress-shopping just by not attending the actual dance. One did not simply get out of dress-shopping when Biscuit Krueger was their RA.

 _"You have to at least try some things on, Kurapika,"_ Biscuit had said, as she dragged Kurapika off to the car. The girl had tossed on pleading look towards her bodyguard, who simply waved her goodbye with a smile on his face. He was probably still following behind them, though, making sure no one succeeded in killing her.

Kurapika leaned her head against the cool glass of the window. Who was sending all these people after her? Some psychopath obsessed with her eyes? A group like the phantom troupe? The actual phantom troupe? How long would it take them to realize they wouldn't get to her unless she came to them?

"Kurapika?" Gon's concerned voice reached her. Kurapika lifted her head to face her friend. Gon's face was filled with worry. Kurapika turned away, closed her eyes, exhaled and forced a smile on her face. Gon didn't buy into it.

"Hey?" Killua asked Biscuit. "Why do I have to go as well?"

* * *

"Because you need a suit," Biscuit answered from the driver's seat. She liked driving. It gave her a sense of control of the situation.

"But I already have a suit," Killua repeated for what felt like a hundredth time.

"What? That old thing?" Biscuit scoffed. "That thing doesn't count. It's completely last season. I need you two to be the envy of all except me."

"It won't be that bad, Killua," Gon reassured, linking their arms. Killua felt that now-familiar heat rise in his face. "I'm sure we can make it tons of fun."

That was true, anyway. Anything could be fun with Gon around.

Gon zipped up the green dress Biscuit had picked out for her. It felt nice and silky against her skin, and the cloth fit her figure well. She wasn't sure about the spaghetti strap part. October nights could get really cold, after all. It only reached above her knee as well. She opened the door to the dressing room, stepping out to the small hallway. Biscuit circled around her like a vulture. She tilted her head up, told her to square her shoulders.

"No," the blonde said, decisively. Then she pulled another, also green, dress off the rack. "Try this one on."

Gon caught the look of pity on Kurapika's face. Biscuit had kept them busy for several hours. The cheerful girl didn't mind that much. After all, it seemed to make Biscuit happy. Anything that made anyone so passionate had to be good.

She slipped on the dress. It was made of the same silky material as the other one. A second layer of lace had been placed atop the silky one. The collar was completely made of intricate lace designs. Gon liked this one.

As did Biscuit. The woman's eyes became aglow as Gon walked out of the dressing room. She nodded to herself, satisfied with a job well done.

"Very good," Biscuit muttered to herself. "We'll definitely take this one. You look absolutely adorable. Now."

The pink-eyed woman suddenly turned to Kurapika with a demented smile.

"It's your turn."

Kurapika looked just about ready to bolt, and Gon felt a little bad when she saw the look of horror in her eyes. Before she could humor the thought anymore, though, Kurapika was dragged away by their narcissistic RA. Gon bit her lip and returned to the dressing room.

A few hours later, a dreadfully tired Kurapika walked out of the dressing room after trying on about two dozen different dresses. Eventually, Biscuit decided to buy her a light blue chiffon dress with a surplice neckline. Gon thought Kurapika looked pretty in all the dresses, but Biscuit always seemed dissatisfied with every one of them. Gon got the feeling that Biscuit never settled for less.

Biscuit had gotten Killua a suit too. Gon never got to see him dressed up because she had been busy trying on her own outfits and helping Kurapika into some of the harder dresses. He probably looked good in a suit. There was something aristocratic about him. Yes, Gon was certain he would be able to pull off a suit with flying colors.

They got to the cashier, and Kurapika nearly fainted when she saw the price tag. Gon rushed to her side and quickly helped her regain her balance. Killua complained to Biscuit about it, earning him a quick hit to the head.

"You'll thank me when you see Gon in her dress," she had said. Killua's face had promptly turned red, and Gon had worried he was running a fever. He simply brushed it off.

As they drove out of the parking lot, a car suddenly stormed towards them. Bisuke swerved expertly, and the other vehicle crashed into something behind them. A wall, Gon soon found out.

"Hey idiot!" Biscuit screamed out of the window. "Watch where you're going! There are kids in here!"

Biscuit had no patience with bad drivers. She continued muttering about how they just gave out licenses to anyone nowadays the entire way back to the school.

"Hisoka," the dark haired man greeted from the steps of the old gazebo.

"'Sup," the magician greeted, carelessly, taking a seat next to him. He offered him a small, laminated piece of paper.

"What's this?" Illumi asked, voice and face emotionless as usual. The paper had a Jack O'Lantern on it, and the words, _You've been invited to the Hallow's Eve Dance this Saturday,_ printed in orange and black ink.

"I need a partner," Hisoka replied.

"Forget it." The words fell fluidly as if it was a rehearsed line he had been repeating every day of his life for the last five years. Probably because he had.

"Yeah, that's what Machi said too," Hisoka sighed, feigning disappointment.

"It's because you're too forward," Illumi explained, shoving the ticket back in his face. "Besides, I have plans."

"Oh?" Hisoka asked, a keen interest in his golden eyes. He leaned closer as if to hear better, but Illumi knew Hisoka had perfect hearing.

"I'm getting Killua back on that night," Illumi said.

"Ooh, how dramatic ~" Hisoka chirped, looking thoroughly excited. "How will you manage that."

"I'm not telling you." Illumi turned away from his friend. Hisoka's face well.

"Why not?" he whined. "I wanna know."

"You have a big mouth," Illumi responded, getting up gracefully and walking away. Hisoka just watched him walk away for a few seconds, admiring the view. Then, he decided he couldn't just silently sit through the suspense.

"Hey, hey! Illumi! Tell me!" The magician yelled as he chased after the other man.

 **NEXT ON NAPP:**

 **It's time for the Dance, and the KuroKura pseudo-date. What will happen? Nobody knows. Illumi's got a plan to ruin it all. Stupid, meddling older brothers, amiright.**

 **A/N: I really like writing Hisoka's lines. He's a funny guy, especially when he's with Illumi. And yes! Hisoka is chasing after Machi just like in canon. He should just start a harem.**

 **Question of the Day: What is Illumi's plan and will it work?**

 **Question of the Day #2: Who do you wanna see more of?**

 **Question of the Day #3: Did you expect Neon's alliance with Leorio, and her crush on Kura?**

 **Replies To Reviewers:**

 **Tigershiddeninshadows: 10000000000000000000000000000000000% Thanks for reviewing. : )**

 **Akirsch-Senpai: Hope this satisfied your KilluGon dreams. More to come in the next chapter. Much more. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reviewing.**

 **Sweets dreamer: I'm so glad you like Boss! Kurapika. Hold on to that idea. It's Kurapika, after all. If she wanted to be, she could succeed as the Chairman. After all, her uncle is Chairman Netero. We have better things to waste our time on than chess : ) Oh, and to answer an earlier review. I never showed Chrollo telling Kurapika about his family. It's implied more than anything. It's been a month, they have to talk about something. Anyway, thank you for reviewing every chapter! I really appreciate it and I hope you liked this chapter as well. Here's some KuroKura for you. It got a little further than I planned, but I like it anyway.**

 **End of Replies**

 **To Everyone: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now, please, if you would be so kind as to leave a review, please do so. Those little messages always help motivate me to write a little more frequently. I'll see you next time on NAPP! : )**


	18. Dancing with a Demon and Moments

**Disclaimer: Do not own!**

 **Chapter 18: Dancing with a Demon and Moments in the Observatory**

Killua swallowed thickly.

Dark green curls framed a delicate, enthusiastic face. Amber eyes aglow with a light he had become familiar with by now. His eyes traveled down to the pine-green dress.

Bloody hell, this wasn't very fair. Gon looked positively radiant. He'd noticed she was attractive before, but never the sort of gorgeous that could take your breath away.

"Killua, are you okay?" Gon asked, worried. The ex-assassin knew his face had to be burning up.

"Y-yeah." he breathed. Gon smiled sweetly, and his face got slightly hotter. In the background, he heard Biscuit snickering. The old hag was really pushing it.

He tried to focus on something else, anything else. His eyes fell on Kurapika and Chrollo talking quietly in the corner. No, not that. He didn't want to focus on them and their escalating relationship. He looked for Leorio. He enjoyed making fun of the man. Unfortunately, his target was nowhere in sight.

Dammit, killing people had never been this hard.

"Alright!" Biscuit announced. "It's time to get going. Kurapika, don't you dare just stay here and do nothing. Get out of the dorm at some point. Okay? Good. Now. Killua, Gon, brace yourselves."

After staring at the dance hall for around five minutes, Gon skipped off to say hello to Leorio and Neon, dragging Killua along by some invisible thread that seemed to force him to follow her around like this.

Neon and Gon started chatting about everything and anything. The music started up. Gon perked up and smiled at the excited whispers coming up from the ground, probably elated at how happy everyone was or something. She made no move to go to the dance floor, even when Neon forced Leorio to the dance floor.

"Why are you just standing there? Shouldn't we follow them?" He didn't really like dancing, but Gon seemed like the type of person who would enjoy it.

"Oh. I don't know how to dance," Gon explained, her voice still cheerful albeit a little less so. Killua didn't like it. Gon wanted to dance, and she was going to. He silently thanked his mother for putting him through those stupid lessons. They now served a purpose.

He took her hand. Gon asked what he was doing, but he simply smirked and pulled her onto the dance floor. He placed his hands on her waist, and he almost laughed at the surprised, red-faced expression the girl gave him. Her arms, seemingly instinctively, wrapped around his neck. Their faces now only inches apart. He felt the urge to close the gap for some reason. Maybe, that was just the way it worked when you danced with an attractive member of the opposite sex, or same sex if you swung that way.

He didn't of course. Kiss her, that is. He didn't want to scare her away. Plus, there was a very good chance she'd misunderstand. Misunderstand what, exactly? He wasn't quite sure.

He twirled her around and noticed all the people staring. No, men. Men staring at Gon. Women staring at him too, but that wasn't important. They were staring at Gon.

He pulled her back in, a little closer this time, a bit more possessively for whatever reason. Gon just grinned that dopey grin, oblivious to all her other admirers. Oblivious to everyone but him.

But not because either of them liked each other. Definitely not.

"I'm glad you came with me, Killua," Gon said. Killua smirked.

"Of course. I can't let you go in here alone with all those pervs around." He meant it as a joke, but he knew it as a fact.

"What's a perv, Killua?" Gon asked, tilting her head to the side in that adorable way of hers.

Killua deliberated whether or not to tell her, but in the end, he thought it best that Gon didn't know about such people.

"I'll tell you someday."

"Oh. Okay," Gon said, as he twirled her around again. She was dealing well with the whole dancing thing. The girl was a natural, really. "Do you want to be twirled too, Killua?"

"Ah, no, thanks." It still wasn't fair how cute she could be. Not fair at all.

"Mind if I step in?" a suave voice suddenly asked. A young man stood behind Gon. The girl twisted in his arms to look at the other man. He had dirty blonde hair and dark blue eyes and a charming, crooked smile. Killua gave him a glare, but he seemed unaffected.

"Um, I want to finish this dance with Killua," she answered, a bit awkwardly. "Maybe later, 'kay?"

"I can wait," he answered, smoothly.

"You don't have to," Gon reassured. "Dance with someone else in the meantime, 'kay? I'll feel bad if I kept you from having fun because you were waiting for me."

The man smiled. "You are adorable."

Gon tilted her head to the side, not quite understanding, but before she could say anything Killua dragged her little ways away from his rival. His grip was surprisingly gentle despite how tense he truly felt. He didn't want to hurt her.

"What's wrong, Killua?" she asked, as he pulled her into a slow dance.

"Nothing."

"Killua?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you jealous?"

The boy almost choked. "No. What makes you think that?"

"Just a feeling. You don't have to feel jealous, though. You're my number one best friend. No one could ever take your place!" She smiled and stepped closer to him as encouragement.

Killua felt that this time, he had a great reason to blush.

"Sh-shut up. That's embarrassing."

"Heh? But it's true. I love _you_ , Killua." As a friend, of course.

* * *

"Illumi ~" Hisoka greeted. "Whatcha doin'?"

"I am waiting for the right moment," Illumi replied, as he watched his brother dance from the bar with the vixen who'd stolen his precious brother and kept him prisoner without his knowledge. He sipped on the orange drink he'd ordered. He had a high alcohol tolerance, so one drink was similar to a glass of water for him.

Hisoka sat down next to him.

"What's with the look?" he asked.

Illumi looked down at his shoes.

"I can't let Kil now I'm here yet." Illumi took another sip of his drink.

"But why did you choose that?" Hisoka gestured at his outfit and ridiculous hair. In his defense, Hisoka was not one to judge.

He looked up at the curly mop of hair on his head. He believed it was called an afro. Surely, it wasn't anything too outrageous. Many of their hairstyles were odd too. The outfit he chose wasn't too strange either. Just very colorful.

"I fail to see your point," the assassin finally answered.

"Of course, you do," Hisoka said, his voice defeated. Illumi then thought to bring up another question, seeing as they were on the subject of appearance.

"You changed your hair." Illumi scanned the still bright red hair and had to admit Hisoka looked far better with his hair down.

"Oh ~" Hisoka said, the seductive tone back in his voice. "You like?"

"Indeed, you look much less psychotic this way," Illumi answered, monotonously.

"That's the closest I'll ever get to a compliment, huh?"

"Most likely."

"You're so cute when you try to be human ~"

"Please shut up now."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Kurapika asked for the millionth time. She still wasn't sure why she followed him without knowing their destination. Her feet just moved on their own, as if she was unconsciously anticipating something.

"Patience is a virtue, Kurapika," he teased. She scowled. She really didn't like not knowing. The woman followed him up the stairs, desperately trying not to look directly in front of her. They soon reached a small platform with a door. Chrollo held the door open for her. Inside, the room was almost completely covered with an inky black. The lights flickered on, and her eyes took a few seconds to adjust, but when they did her heart almost stopped.

It was an observatory. Several telescopes were lined up. The walls slid open mechanically, revealing a brilliantly starry sky: A perfect night for stargazing.

"A meteor shower is scheduled for tonight. I thought you might like to see it," Chrollo explained, as he walked closer to the last Kurta. Kurapika had nearly forgotten about that.

"Thank you," she said, "I'd forgotten about that. I might've missed it again. This would actually be my first time seeing one."

"Really?" He sounded so surprised that she had to look back at him. He quickly tacked on a reason for his shock. "You just seem like an avid astronomy nerd."

Liar.

...

 _"Mr. Chrollo! Mr. Chrollo!" a voice called. Chrollo stared as the short blonde girl ran to him as fast as she could, which was surprisingly fast for a person of her stature and age. She jumped over roots and other obstacles the forest provided effortlessly, even though she hardly ever looked down at her feet. She almost continued running past her, but he caught the young Kurta with one arm and hoisted her up by the collar of her clothing. He then plopped her down in front of him._

 _"Kurapika," he acknowledged._

 _"Hi," she said, a bit shyly as usual._

 _"What do you want?"_

 _"Is it true you're gonna leave?" she asked, pouting slightly, eyes begging him to say one word, just a single word: no. Chrollo couldn't be bought so easily, however._

 _"Yes."_

 _"But why?" her voice turned whiny, and Chrollo had to fight back a smile._

 _"I can't stay here forever," he said. Kurapika's eyes lit up. He'd just gave her an idea, an improbable one._

 _"Why not? We have room," she said, excitedly._

 _"Shall I rephrase; I do not wish to reside here any longer, Kurapika." He gave her a firm look to show that he wasn't kidding. The Kurta's face fell. Chrollo almost felt a pang of guilt._

 _"Oh," she whispered, voice deflated. She looked close to tears. Then, she brightened up again. "Then I'll just have to make you want to stay!"_

 _"Good luck with accomplishing that in a day," Chrollo said, critically. The girl once again took on that heartbroken expression._

 _"But . . . but . . . you can't just . . . leave," she whispered, bangs covering her undoubtedly red eyes. "Wh-what if you never come back?"_

 _He hadn't been planning on doing so, but if he told her that he felt it might send the girl over the edge. He had no time for crying girls, nor was he good at dealing with them._

 _"Alright then." He knelt down to her eye level. She looked at him with tears in her scarlet eyes. "How about we agree to meet again. In, say, five years."_

 _"But that's too long!" she complained. Chrollo sighed. What a difficult girl._

 _"It's that or never."_

 _She puffed out her cheeks in annoyance and tapped her foot on the floor at breakneck speed. Finally, she relented. "Okay. But you better come back."_

 _"I will," he reassured, though he was almost certain he would never set eyes on the Kurta again._

 _"Promise?" she asked, leaning towards him insistently, wide eyes searching for the telltale signs of lying._

 _He placed a hand atop her golden head. "Promise."_

 _The blonde pouted once more but seemed satisfied with his answer. She then gave him a smile and tackle-hugged him to the ground. She buried her face in his shoulder. She sniffled a little, but other than that seemed to be doing well with the upcoming separation._

 _"I . . . " she suddenly spoke again, pushing away to reveal a full-on crying face complete with snot and tears. So much for doing well. "I'm really going t-to m-m-miss you."_

 _And she started sobbing as she hugged him again. This time, he couldn't help but chuckle._

 _"As will I," he whispered, fondly, stroking her golden hair._

 _"R-r-really?" she asked, voice a bit muffled by the fabric of his jacket._

 _"Hmm."_

 _They stayed like that for a while longer. The distressed Kurta blubbering as the slightly somber but otherwise indifferent Chrollo allowed her to ruin one of his new shirts. Then she suddenly gasped in wonder._

 _"Shooting stars!" she squealed, releasing the man and getting up to her feet. "Look, Mr. Chrollo! Shooting stars! Well, I guess they're actually meteors, but you know what I mean!"_

 _"You've never seen one before?" he asked, surprised._

 _"Nah, they usually don't pass through here. Aren't they pretty?" She looked at the flying rocks in amazement, and Chrollo had to wonder how one could find beauty in things that just looked nice._

She'd forgotten that too, apparently. Anything that she did with him, she seemed to have lost, even though shadows of the memories still lingered. He wanted those memories back. To know that someone else stole something so precious from his Kurta. That person would pay.

The bloodlust rose in him, but he forced it down. It would alert the other occupant of the room. He focused on the said occupant. Her hair, her eyes, her intelligence, her kindness, her pride, her stubbornness: Anything and everything. His thoughts became peaceful once more, as they always did. She was proving to be an effective cure for his violent, psychopathic outbursts.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked, not even turning to look at him.

"I like looking at you." Honesty. He always took the honest route when it came to her. The only thing he hadn't been completely truthful about was their past, and he just felt it a bit too late to tell her now. She'd overanalyze their situation. The Kurta would probably think he was after her Scarlet Eyes.

"Why is that?" Her voice was casual, conversational. She finally turned towards him, illuminated by the full moon. "Surely there's more interesting things for you to gape at."

He smirked and moved a little closer. "Gape? I've never gaped at anything in my life. I was simply admiring." He tucked a strand of silky. golden hair behind one pale ear. The earring he gave her glinted at him, perhaps a little mockingly, a reminder of his worst mistake: Leaving. He would never leave her again.

"Chrollo," she whispered, a bit breathless. Her black eyes were rimmed with red. He longed to see them without the blasted contacts. "What are you doing?"

Obsidian eyes narrowed and then widened slightly, as the man realized that the Kurta's lips were only a hair's breadth away from his own. He felt her breath tickling his lips. He didn't lean away. Instead, he moved his hand to caress her cheek, fingers getting caught in some blonde locks. Her skin was soft and warm. Her lips would be too.

"Going a step beyond admiring, I suppose," he whispered back, though he didn't make a move to place his lips on hers.

"Mind taking a step back?" she said in that same tone that suggested might not mind it if he didn't. He liked that tone.

"A bit late for that, don't you think?" He took in her face one last time. She was blushing furiously, her eyes glittering with something. Expectancy, perhaps. Had she suspected this? Who cared? She was there. Beautiful and real and all his for the taking.

He closed the gap and their lips did brush against each other . . . for around five seconds. Of course, something had to come up to destroy the entire thing. This something came in the form of a bloodcurdling scream. Chrollo sighed as the girl jolted away. He felt the urge to simply draw her back in, but she'd probably try to kill him. The moment was over.

The Kurta bolted from the room, whether it was because of the sort-of-kiss or from the scream he couldn't be sure. He followed her, as his job directed, though he really didn't care what had happened.

Perhaps he should be grateful. She was only eighteen.

And yet, he couldn't find it in himself to wish that they hadn't closed that gap. Instead, he found himself wishing he hadn't stopped. Well, they could continue this another time.

Next time, they wouldn't be interrupted.

* * *

Gon could only stare as her friend lost control. Hisoka had her in a death grip, apologizing in his own way for stopping her from trying to save Killua but he couldn't let her be killed just yet.

So she watched with wide open eyes as Killua's older brother walked up to him. They started to talk, but the sound of her heart beating and the voices around her drowned the words. She watched as Killua's face slowly changed until it seemed to be just a shadow of his old self. She watched as he killed the people one by one, slaughtering them. Perhaps, she should've cried. Should've felt sad, scared, worried.

Not so. She felt furious. Furious at the man, the brother, who had triggered Killua.

"Killua!" a voice yelled. Kurapika suddenly appeared, red from running all the way there. "What are you doing?"

"Kurapika, no!" Leorio yelled from the other side of the room. He was already checking out the injured people. "Stay where you are!"

The Kurta stopped. Killua didn't even react to her presence. Gon was still seething.

"There's no use," Hisoka informed. "He's too far gone."

"I won't accept that!" Gon screamed back at him. The man raised an amused eyebrow.

"And what shall you do. Call him back with the power of friendship?" Hisoka mocked, smiling. Gon glared at him with such fervor it sent chills down his spine. So powerful.

"Killua!" Gon yelled. "Don't fall for it! I know you! This isn't who you are!"

The dark-haired man, the brother, turned towards her with an indifferent stare.

"How could you speak something like that with such confidence?" he asked, honest curiosity in his voice. Gon simply glared at him. "You've known him for a little over two months. I've known him his whole life. He was born to kill people. There's nothing else to say."

"Do you think I care about who he was born to be?" Gon snapped, bitterly. "If you gave him the choice, he wouldn't do this. I know it!"

"And how?" he asked.

"Because I trust him!"

Silence.

"That's a very idiotic thing to do," Illumi commented. "Assassins can only be trusted with delivering death."

"Then I'm glad to be an idiot! Because I wouldn't want to be somebody who didn't even believe in her own friends!"

Hisoka suddenly snorted, then chuckled, then burst into psychotic laughter. The room was plunged into silence save for his giggles. He released his grip on Gon, who immediately ran to Killua.

"Hey, hey. Let him go, Illumi," Hisoka finally said. "He's already done his part."

"I want to see something," Illumi replied, crossing his arms. Hisoka shrugged. As long as Gon didn't die a premature death at someone else's hands.

The amber-eyed girl wasted no time at hugging the Zoldyck heir. He didn't kill her. No, he froze. He didn't turn back either. He simply stood there numbly, eyes still glittering with bloodlust.

"Oh dear. What a mess you've made," an old, perky voice sounded from the entrance, Netero stood there, surveying the said mess. His eyes stopped on the Zoldyck heir.

"It seems you've put me in a difficult position, Mr. Zoldyck." The man's somber voice seemed to call everyone back to the reality of said position. Killua Zoldyck had just placed himself in the perfect condition for expulsion.

That, Gon wasn't about to accept either.

...

 **NEXT TIME ON NAPP!**

 **Killua is expelled, and Gon is so not letting him stay that way. Kurapika uses her position as the niece of the headmaster to her advantage. Leorio goes to full-on dad mode. Chrollo contemplates when his feelings towards Kurapika took a turn for borderline obsession/the romantic. He also helps them out a bit. Biscuit's gonna make her way in there too, undoubtedly.**

 **(A/N: Guys, it's summer. That means it's writing season!)**

 **Question of the Day: Do you feel the romance is a bit forced.**

 **Question of the Day #2: Did that pseudo-kiss just come out of nowhere, or did you expect it?**

 **Question of the Day #3: Is Gon OOC here? I also made her swear once, and was like: Nah, Gon doesn't swear. Aunt Mito probably told him it's bad. I don't know if she'd hug Killua in such a situation. I just wanted a KilluGon hug.**

 **~Replies to Reviewers~**

 **Tigerhiddeninshadows: That's a lot of zeroes. You were spot on save for the happy ending. Machi, hmm. Soon, probably. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Sweets dreamer: Your life is now complete. And yeah, poor Kurapika. She's gotta deal with everyone's cr*p. I'm glad you found Gon cute. That's totally what I was going for. Genius, really? Thank you! I wasn't sure if I should add that little subplot in, but it just felt so natural. HisoIllu have a great friendship going on. They're both psychos so it makes sense. And trust me, the Chain Pair doesn't need Hisoka coming to destroy their relationship. Though, it might be funny.**


	19. It Matters Not That We Were Born Apart

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter**

 **A/N: I'm aware Alluka is biologically a male, but since both Killua and Alluka herself refer to him/her as female then she shall be referred to with female pronouns. In other words, she's a transgender character in this story.**

 **Chapter 19: It Matters Not That We Were Born Apart**

"Gon," Kurapika said, gently, placing an arm around the younger girl's shoulders. Gon gave her a small smile. "Everything's gonna be alright. We'll get him back."

"I know," Gon replied softly. She would make sure Killua's expulsion was rescinded. She just wasn't sure how she'd do that.

"Yeah!" Leorio suddenly yelled from behind them, "that brat's not going anywhere! We'll stop 'em!"

Gon laughed. It was nice to know that even Leorio wanted Killua to stay. They had gotten off on the wrong foot, but deep inside both of them cared a lot about each other.

"We can start with Netero," Kurapika suggested, smiling as well. "Maybe he'll accept Killua back into the school."

Gon nodded. They'd see Killua again soon.

…

"My hands are tied," Netero said, solemnly gazing at his niece. Kurapika crossed her arms, and the man instantly knew she didn't believe a word coming out of his mouth.

"You are the most influential man in the world. Killua was forced to act under his brother's influence. If anyone should be punished, it's that man." The Kurta's tone was level and calm, but he could sense the venom beneath them. Once he'd let their clan be annihilated. Killua's expulsion was hardly as serious a transgression, but Kurapika had clearly made a startling connection between the two events. She probably thought him cruel. In a way, he was.

"Nevertheless, he is a threat to the school. Zoldycks are assassins -"

"I'm aware of that."

"Then you should also be aware that killing is second nature to them."

"Then why did you let him come?" Gon's voice echoed from behind Kurapika. She and Leorio had been standing there, watching the two relatives argue over Killua's current state. Netero acknowledged her, and Gon stepped closer to the headmaster, stopping next to Kurapika.

"I let him come on a leap of faith," Netero explained, massaging his forehead. He really hated being serious. "But I can not simply allow him to get off the hook after he slaughtered five people."

"Involuntarily slaughtered five people. He wasn't himself," Kurapika insisted. "Perhaps, you can't let him completely off the hook, but how about lessening the punishment. A suspension should be enough."

"There will be complaints," Netero answered, wishing that his niece hadn't inherited her mother's stubbornness. It was ridiculously hard to reason with. "People won't stand for this."

"Since when do you care about other people's feelings?" Kurapika snapped. Her temper was rising, and Netero didn't have the time to deal with a Kurta's anger issues.

"Mr. Netero?" Gon asked. Netero turned to face her. "You said it was a leap of faith."

"Yes."

"Can't you take another one?"

"It's not that simple. Back when I accepted Killua into the academy, I let him in on the condition that he wouldn't kill anymo-" It seemed today was cut-Netero-off-mid-sentence day.

"Not on Killua," Gon clarified, pointing to herself. "Take a leap of faith on me."

"I don't see how that'll help, Miss Freecss," Netero sighed. The girl was adorably naive, but there was a time and place for naivety and this was neither.

"I'll keep Killua in line. I know who he is now." Gon's excitement was contagious. "I know how to help him now! Besides, Killua was doing really well before his brother came and messed with him!"

Netero almost agreed, but he knew better. An expulsion was the lesser punishment. Technically, Killua should've been thrown in jail for homicide. His status as an assassin wouldn't help him there, and he wasn't a Hunter yet. Subsequently, the kid's shot at a future of his own design would vanish in the blink of an eye. The old headmaster was only able to get him out of the authorities' grips because he'd told them the boy would be immediately sent home.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. "Not only would this be against school policy, but widespread controversy would undoubtedly follow. It's not worth it."

"Not worth it?" Gon choked out venomously, voice barely above a whisper. Her hands curled into fists by her side, and she looked just about ready used to it. But her anger was mild next to the fury radiating off the Kurta.

"Let's go, Gon," Kurapika whispered, but Netero knew this wasn't finished. None of Killua's friends had such a weak will. No, they were regrouping, and then they'll come back with a better strategy. He hoped they found something, truly. As headmaster, he couldn't show favoritism, but if they came with a strong enough argument then even he couldn't stand in their way.

…

He watched her, observed, admired in the most respectful sense of the word. The way a few golden locks fell over her shoulder and over the arm she currently rested her head on. The way her black eyes flicked from one side of the page to the other, and her fingers flipped the pages with precise, fine movements.

She truly was a model scholar.

"You won't find anything," he informed. "Netero wrote those policies, and if there had been something to get Killua out of this situation, he would've used it by now."

Kurapika's hands paused. "Somehow, I doubt that."

"Kurapika," he said, disapprovingly, as he sat down across from her. "You need to be realistic about this. The rules won't be able to help you."

She sighed and closed the giant leather-bound volume, running one hand through her silky, golden hair. "I promised Gon we'd get him back."

She sounded so tired, so exhausted. A different type of worn out from when she spent a record-breaking two hundred sixty-five hours without sleep during the committee planning. Chrollo's lips pressed into a thin line. He really wasn't very good at helping people. Meteor City didn't exactly instill a sense of kindness and altruism in its citizens.

Maybe he should kiss her again. That would distract her.

Yes, but then she'd worry about the kiss. So far the pseudo-kiss in the observatory only irked her from time to time, eclipsed by the Killua fiasco. If he actually kissed her for real it might not be so easily swept under the rug,

Which would be nice if all he wanted to do was make her forget said fiasco. But, that wasn't all.

Good lord, were all heartfelt relationships so complicated? What had he been thinking when he decided to start feeling feelings for this girl? Clearly, he hadn't been thinking.

"Hey, Chrollo?" Kurapika asked.

"Hmm."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-six."

Silence.

"Surprised?"

"You look good for your age."

"I know."

"You wouldn't happen to have some words of wisdom?"

". . . I'm not that old."

Kurapika smiled at that one. Point for Chrollo.

The man slid the book over to his side of the table and started flipping through the pages.

"You can't use the actual rules to your advantage, but no one ever said anything about loopholes," he said, smiling conspiratorially, the thief in him coming out.

"I doubt Netero would allow any loopholes to make their way into his rules," Kurapika muttered, defeatedly.

"There's always something," Chrollo reassured. Kurapika gave him a thoughtful look.

"You seem to have a lot of experience with this type of thing."

"Do I?"

"Hmm," Kurapika hummed, placing her chin on her hand. "You have the atmosphere of a criminal."

Perhaps, the little Kurta's intuition was more precise than said little Kurta admitted. Chrollo smiled, casually, "a criminal, huh? Perhaps, I should consider switching jobs."

"At least make it classy," Kurapika quipped. Chrollo smirked at the irony of it all. What was more classy than being the head of an A-class group of thieves who stole only that which they valued?

"Will do. I'll call you when I've taken over the world."

"I might give you a helping hand."

"Then victory is inevitable."

"Naturally."

Flirting? Were they flirting? He'd never flirted before unless it was for a mission. He found it a tasteless, trivial thing to do. Flirting never seemed to be on his mind, and he never would've imagined doing it with the Kurta. He wondered when that happened. When his feelings for her changed. When he stopped wanting to simply keep her alive. When he started to want something a little more.

He couldn't remember. Somewhere in their time spent together here, probably. They devoted a lot of time in each other's company. Maybe it was the mere exposure effect?

There was something more, though. Three nights ago in the Observatory, he felt it rule him. And it would only get stronger. He was a thief, and she was a living artifact. Some part of him wanted her for himself.

The poor girl didn't even know.

And she never would. She didn't have to.

Because his desire to protect her was far stronger than any wish to possess her.

...

Biscuit watched as Gon and Leorio stood at the phone, waiting in vain for someone to pick. Well, that wasn't exactly true, someone was picking up. It just wasn't the person they wanted to pick up.

Netero had given them the phone to the Zoldyck mansion, though he omitted the fact that it would only put them through to the Head Butler, Gotoh. Gon was getting understandably frustrated, and Leorio looked just about ready to break into the Zoldyck mansion itself and give them a piece of his mind.

They were wasting their time, and Biscuit felt a bit bad about the fact. Still, it couldn't be helped. Killua needed saving.

These kids were so much trouble. One was bent on revenge, another an ex-assassin, yet another looking for a father that doesn't want to be found. Seriously, only Leorio seemed relatively stable, and even he had his demons. And then there was a daughter of a Mafia boss and the leader of a group of murdering thieves.

Dang, they were messed up. She'd never noticed before. No wonder Netero made her be their RA.

"Killua? Killua!" Gon suddenly squealed.

…

Killua smirked at the girl's excitement. He'd missed that voice ringing in his ear practically twenty-four seven. "Hey."

 _"You're okay?"_ she asked, voice concerned as usual. Killua looked down at his appearance: bloody, bruised, and beaten. Other than that, he was totally cool.

"I'm fine," he responded. "How'd you get our number?"

 _"Mr. Netero told us."_

"Of course, the old man would have it." Killua leaned against the nearby wall, not caring if he got a few bloodstains on it. "How are you guys?"

 _"Well, Kurapika's looking for a way to get around your being expelled. Mr. Lucilfer's helping her with that."_ Of course, he was. _"Leorio and Biscuit are right next to me. We were all really worried when you left!"_

"Don't worry. I've lived sixteen years with my family, and . . . hold on, getting around my expulsion?" He'd heard it the first time but hadn't quite processed it well enough to elicit the correct response.

 _"Yeah. Unless you would rather stay with your family,"_ Gon quickly added. Killua considered for a second. Things were much simpler here, but then he thought about Kurapika, Leorio, Biscuit, and Gon, Gon, Gon. Everything Gon. From her laugh to her eyes to her dark hair. Everything was fun when Gon was around, and he preferred a fun life to a simple one.

"Nah, you guys do what you gotta to get me the hell out of here," he told her. The Zoldyck heir could practically hear the grin on the other side of the phone.

 _"Okay! We'll see you soon, Killua!"_

And she hung up. Or maybe it had been him. Either way, the silence was deafening. He put the phone down and slid down the wall in a crouching position, running a hand through his silver hair.

Why did it feel like his heart had been glued back together and broken again all in one phone call? It couldn't be healthy.

"You are becoming weak," a monotonous voice spoke.

"Illumi," Killua said, not even looking up to face his older brother.

"Assassins don't have friends," the man repeated for the hundredth time that day.

"I thought Hisoka was your friend," Killua replied, finally pointing out that little controversy.

"Hisoka is an anomaly. He won't leave me alone, and he's on the same level as me, perhaps even stronger. I can't get rid of him. That makes him more of a nuisance than anything else."

"I'm pretty sure you guys were playing video games just a few minutes ago."

"He forced me into it."

"Right," Killua drawled.

"Assassins don't fall in love either. Not unless it's with other assassins," Illumi informed. Killua frowned.

"I'm not in love."

"You're in denial, that's all. That doesn't make it any less of a fact." Was Illumi trying to convince him that he was in love - like? - with Gon? That made no sense in the long run if Illumi really wanted him to stay at home.

"Illumi ~!" a chilling voice said. "I need to talk to you about one more thing~."

"I thought you were leaving." Illumi turned to Hisoka, who stood in the doorway with a huge grin.

"Yeah, but then Machi sent me a text, see." The magician lifted his phone to Illumi's eye level. Illumi scanned it, and Killua rolled his eyes. Everyone knew only friends helped you out with your sorry excuse of a love life.

"It seems like she's threatening to kill you for being a pervert again," Illumi commented, still monotonously.

"To kill me with her threads. _Her_ threads! I think that can be classified as progress," Hisoka was squealing now, and Killua felt like it might be time to bail. "Soon, she might finally give in!"

Yeah, definitely time to bail. He didn't want to listen to Hisoka's perverted fantasies.

He should pay a visit to Alluka. Alluka always made him a little happier. Plus, she reminded him of Gon, if just a little.

...

"Onii-chan, die," Alluka said, smiling cheerfully as she lifted her hand, now shaped to resemble a gun. She always liked playing with her brother. It had been way too long since they last saw each other, but Alluka was happy because now they were together.

Her brother gave her a serious look before his lips turned up in an eerie smile.

"Okay. Sure."

Her brother's head disappeared, vanished into thin air, and his body fell limply to the floor. Alluka clapped at the sight. What a great show! Her brother was the best at these kinds of thing.

She giggled a little, and then said, "Onii-chan, wake up."

Alluka lifted her hand and dragged it closer to her body, at the same time picking her brother up into a sitting position again. She then waited a few seconds, and a pair of cerulean eyes poked out from under the blue turtleneck her brother wore. Then, his entire face slid out as well, greeting her with a cheeky smile. Alluka clapped again, laughing even harder than the last time.

"You're so good at that!" Alluka cheered, hugging her brother again. Her brother always smelled really nice, like super nice. She didn't know what it was, but it always made her really happy.

Her brother ran a hand through her dark hair. "Sorry for leaving so suddenly, Alluka."

"That's okay." And it really was, because now they were together. "I'm really happy you're back, Onii-chan!"

"I'm not sure how long I'll be staying," Killua informed. Alluka released him and stared into his eyes. They were pretty eyes. She always felt loved when she looked into them.

"Are you going back to that school, Onii-chan?" Alluka asked.

Her brother nodded, a bit guiltily. Alluka wanted to let him know he didn't need to feel guilty.

"That place must be really amazing. You must have met a lot of friends!" she said, enthusiastically.

Her brother nodded and told her about the three new friends he met in the Academy. About a pretty, smart blonde woman named Kurapika who was pretty calm most of the time, but had the tendency to blow up from time to time. She was apparently the headmaster's niece and had something called an affair with her bodyguard. Alluka wasn't sure what an affair was, but the woman seemed nice anyway. A medical student named Leorio who looked like an old man despite only being nineteen, He was really loud and annoying according to Killua, but his brains weren't as big as his lungs, or something like that. He and the blonde were really close. Not close like Kurapika and the bodyguard, Killua had added, but like a brother and sister. Alluka thought they must love each other very much since Killua was her brother and she was his sister and they loved each other tons!

Last, there was a girl named Gon. She was really pretty and smart and cute and Killua complimented her lots more than the other two so she must be really amazing. Killua explained how she'd been his first friend there, and how they had gone to the dance together. He also said that she could make everything lots of fun and that she was really interesting and . . . and . . . Killua really liked talking about Gon. He could write a book, Alluka thought, all about this Gon.

She must be super special! Alluka really wanted to meet her someday!

"Ne, Onii-chan, you sound like you really love Gon," she pointed out when he was finished.

Killua looked surprised for a few seconds, but then his face broke into a warm smile. "Yeah. I do!"

"You should tell her." Alluka insisted, leaning towards her brother with a determined gaze. She would make sure he told this Gon that he loved her.

"I will, I will," Killua reassured. Alluka made sure he wasn't lying. All clear, he would definitely tell Gon that he loved her. Alluka clapped her hands, giggled, and hugged her brother once again.

"Let's all go see the world someday, Onii-chan! Your friends too!"

Killua just chuckled as he held her in his arms.

Alluka was very happy that day because her brother had finally found his own path to walk.

...

 **NEXT ON NAPP!:**

 **Chrollo and Kurapika find something promising. Could this be the key to getting Killua back? Meanwhile, Killua and Gon finally figure out they might be in love. Not much KuroKura, but you never know how things will work out.**

 **A/N: I am really sorry if Chrollo's really OOC, but to be honest, we don't really know what his real personality is. Also, give it up for Alluka. I hope I nailed her character. She was really cute to write.**

 **Question of the Day: What do you desperately need to see on NAPP? Cause I might start a bunch of fluffy one-shots.**

 **Question of the Day #2: Do you think Chrollo's obsession is believable, or just Hisoka levels of creepy?**

 **~Replies to Reviewers~**

 **Sweets dreamer: You're welcome : ) I'm sorry it made you sad *passes you tissues* I think the guy asking Gon out was Retz, except she's actually a cross-dressing boy. Nevermind, we'll probably never see him/her again. Or will we? I don't know, I just always wanted Illumi to have an afro, but no one ever gave him one. That's the great thing about being a writer. You get to make all your silly fantasies come true. Like an almost healthy KuroKura relationship. Thanks for reviewing. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Tigerhiddeninshadows: Hisoka has a much more obvious crush on Machi in my version. It's a lot cuter too, but still creepy. Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the reference to Machi.**

 **~End of Replies~**

 **TO EVERYONE: Thank you so much for reading this little gem, and I really hope you enjoyed some aspect of it. If you would be so kind, please leave a review in order to support the author, because reviews make days a little brighter. I love you guys and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	20. Huzzah!

**Disclaimer Time: I do not own this thing called Hunter x Hunter.**

 **Chapter 20: Huzzah!**

 _In extreme circumstances, the student in question may have their punishment diminished by yours truly._

Murder sounded pretty extraneous, but this would require Netero being willing to diminish said punishment.

"Look closer," Chrollo suggested.

 _Under even more bizarre circumstances, the Hunter Association may be dragged into the situation._

Netero was the head of the Hunter Association. Even if they somehow convinced the members of their case, they'd still have to get through Netero. They'd need a flawless defense.

They'd need to know exactly how Killua's brother controlled him.

God, she needed sleep.

"What time is it?"

"One thirty. Want to finally call it a night?" Chrollo suggested.

"No." She shook her golden head of the tempting thought. She couldn't stop now. What if all her progress vanished tomorrow? Unlikely, but possible nonetheless.

 _Expulsion can also be rescinded if the student in question had been influenced or threatened into whatever stupidity that he'd incurred._

But they had no proof. They had no idea what Illumi had said to Killua. Witnesses, save Gon and Leorio, had said it looked like a casual conversation between two brothers.

Only Killua would know.

Could they do that? Bring in the victim/perpetrator to argue his own claim.

The Kurta got up from the desk and sauntered over to the bookshelves surrounding her. The Association constitution should be around here somewhere. Probably under A.

She pulled out the ridiculously large red volume that could easily be the same size as her head. They clearly felt it necessary to outline every detail of the hypothetical circumstances the Hunter Association could be put it. She wasn't surprised. Hunters were smart, they wouldn't let someone use their own rules against them.

She wasn't really using the rules against the Hunter Association, was she? She was simply using them to her advantage on this mission to save a friend. It was a noble quest, really.

 _If aided by several other witnesses with no other association with the suspect, the suspect himself may testify._

Okay, all she needed was a few other witnesses. Too bad anyone who didn't know Killua personally thought he was a terrible human being.

"A few students have come to me," Chrollo said as if he'd read her thoughts like a book. "They were quite disturbed by the whole ordeal, but they remember it rather accurately. I could ask them to help us."

"Really?" Kurapika asked, eyes glowing with gratefulness. Chrollo nodded, and her lips split into a large grin. She slammed the book closed. "Why didn't you say so?"

"I wanted you to figure it out first."

Kurapika's grin faded to a small, annoyed smile. "It's times like these that I remember what a conniving bastard you can be sometimes."

"You love me anyways."

"I tolerate you."

Chrollo smirked.

...

"Really?" Gon squealed, brimming with excitement. Kurapika and Mr. Lucilfer were finally able to find a way to free Killua. She knew they could do it. They were a really great team even if they looked ready to kill each other sometimes.

"Really, really."

"I can call Killua," Gon said. She wanted to help too. It wasn't fair that Kurapika had to do all the hard work.

The young Freecss pranced over to the phone and dialed the number to Killua's house. The same man as before answered, but he quickly transferred the phone to Killua, who had apparently been standing there for a while.

 _"Gon."_

"Killua, we found a way to get you back into the Academy. All you have to do is tell that it wasn't really your fault!"

Gon was met with silence and for a second she wondered if the line had been cut.

 _". . . But it was my fault."_

Gon tilted her head to the side. Why did he think it was his fault.

 _"I killed them."_

"So?" Gon asked. "It's not like you wanted to."

 _"I did."_

"But if Illumi hadn't been there, you wouldn't have done it, right?" Gon clarified, wanting to prove to her friend that he didn't need to feel guilty. Those students didn't die because of Killua.

" _I guess not,"_ he replied after a short moment of hesitation.

"So, it wasn't _really_ your fault."

 _"You . . . really are a weird person, Gon,"_ he said this with such fondness that Gon had to grin despite his insult.

"I know."

 _"Fine, I'll go, but don't get your hopes up,"_ he warned.

"Okay!" she said, her hopes skyrocketing. They told each other goodbye and hung up. Gon then turned back to tell Kurapika and Leorio the good news, but zipped her lips when she saw both of them asleep on the couch. The blonde leaned her head on her best friend's shoulder. Mr. Lucilfer had probably left sometime during the phone call. Where was Biscuit, though?

"He agreed?" Biscuit asked from the corner of the living room. Gon hadn't even noticed her.

The dark-haired girl nodded, bobbing her head up and down.

"Good," Biscuit said, crossing her arms. "I would've totally given him hell if he had said no."

Gon had no doubt about that.

...

Killua missed her. Not a heartbreaking sort of miss. He just wanted to be with her. To feel her next to him, to have her talk his ear off, to listen to her voice and take in her smile. After all, memories never could do her justice.

"Thinking about a pretty green girl ~?" Hisoka asked from behind Killua. He lay sprawled out dramatically across their velvet couch, munching on a shiny, green apple. Killua wondered how he managed not to choke on it.

"What are you doing back here again?" Killua asked, still keeping his distance.

"I'm waiting for Illumi ~" Hisoka answered, glancing at him with calculating, golden eyes. "Keep me company while I wait for him?"

"Hell no," Killua said, voice completely level. In that moment, he really did look like his older brother, though he would never admit it.

"What a pity ~" Hisoka cooed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back on the armrest of the couch. "You really should hurry up and marry Gon. Maybe she'll soften you up. And just think of how strong your children will be ~"

The hell?

Who said anything about marriage? Who said anything about love in the first place? And kids?

" Oh, no need to be shy. I know sexual tension when I see it. I'm an expert at it, in fact, ~" Hisoka took another bite of the apple, a bit of juice dribbled down his hand. Something about the way he ate that thing put Killua off. "Don't believe me? Tell me, does she make your heart race? Just the thought of her?"

Silence. He was right, and Killua knew it. How many times had he felt his heart just about ready to jump out of his chest like it was being called? That was a terrible mental image. Hearts ripping themselves out of their owners' chests. It sounded so painful. At the same time, it felt good. The adrenaline rush accompanying wasn't bad either.

"Next question ~!" the clown chirped. "Does your face flush whenever she comes a little bit too close?"

Right again. What was he? Some kind of expert? Then again, he was a pervert. And then there was that Machi girl he and Illumi talked about.

"Yes again? Ohohoho, you've got it bad. Have you ever thought about taking her? Well, I suppose you're too young for that. How about kissing or hand holding. Or have you already kissed? In that case, you're in even in more denial than I thought. No? No kiss. Good. You're not completely lost."

He hadn't even said anything?! Was he just reading his mind at this point?

"Well, the more denial there is at the start the more passionate the aftermath. I'd love to join you two one day. Though, I need to set up the one with Machi, Danchou, and Illumi first. Danchou could bring that Kurapika girl as well. Oh, what a fun date night that would be ~!"

Oh God, he was gonna be sick. Well, at least Leorio would be safe. And he was pretty sure Lucilfer would rip Hisoka to tiny shreds before he let him get within a mile radius of Kurapika. Maybe having an overprotective psychopath as her bodyguard would serve the girl well in the end.

"Anyway," Hisoka sighed, getting up from the couch. He then walked closer to Killua and leaned down to be on eye-level. "Gon is a popular girl. Personally, I'm betting on you, so don't let me do-"

Hisoka was suddenly pulled away by a very angry Illumi.

"What are you doing?" he asked, voice dangerously low.

"Offering advice?" Hisoka said, a bit nervously. The dark-haired man threw him across the room like it was nothing, and the demented clown had the gall to look immensely happy all the while. They really had a strange relationship.

"Are you alright, Kil?" Illumi asked. Killua stuck his hands in his pockets nonchalantly.

"Yeah," he said and walked away like nothing had happened.

"Oh Kil, we have another mission for tonight," Illumi reminded.

"I know." Man, what did it take to get a vacation around here? He'd been home for a little over a week and they already had a load of jobs for him. Had they been piling up while he was gone or something?

He wondered what Gon would think if she knew he went back to killing? Would she be fine with it, or run the other way? She didn't seem too turned off by his status as an assassin, but that might be because she thought he'd left that life behind him. Here he was back at the beginning.

Why did he care so much? It could be because she was his friend, but all that Hisoka had said rang true. He didn't trust Hisoka's judgment, sure, but he couldn't deny that he felt something for Gon. But then, was he really in love or was it just a side effect of connecting with someone outside his family?

Did it matter that much? If he felt differently about her, why not just ask her out and see where it goes?

But what if it didn't work out, and their friendship was destroyed.

But could it be called a friendship if at least one of them felt like kissing the other half the time?

But -

"Nii-chan," a voice called disapprovingly, "you're in another place again."

"Huh, sorry, Alluka," he said, smiling apologetically.

"Were you thinking about your friends again?" Alluka asked.

"Yeah."

"Mostly about Gon, right?"

"Yeah."

"Nii-chan, are you in love with Gon?"

"I might be," Killua answered, after a slight pause of deliberation. He didn't want to lie to Alluka.

"Will you tell her?" Alluka asked, innocently, but Killua could hear the excitement clear in her voice.

"I'm . . . not sure." Killua shrugged. Alluka gave him a determined stare.

"You have to! That's what all the princes should do!"

"Alluka?"

"Yes, Nii-chan?"

"Have you been watching those princess movies again?"

"Yes, Nii-chan," the girl said, a little embarrassed at being found out.

"You can't really apply those things to real life, though, Alluka," Killua explained. His sister's determination didn't falter one bit.

"Please. If you don't, Nanika and Alluka will be sad."

"And why would you be sad?" Killua asked, amused.

"Because," Alluka blurted out, "if you don't tell her, then you might never meet another nice girl again. Nanika wants an older sister!"

Killua blinked rapidly. Was this whole thing Alluka's plan to get another sibling? Well, she must get lonely in here. Even if the other servants kept her company. The servants were only employees. He could see Alluka and Gon getting along as friends.

He did not just agree to this craziness! No way!

But then he saw Alluka gazing at him with pleading, puppy eyes and he felt himself breaking.

"Fine. I'll tell her, but that doesn't mean we'll get married, y'know."

Alluka clapped her hands and hugged him.

"Yay!"

…

"Gon," a surprised voice reached the dark haired girl.

"Hi, Neon!" Gon cheerfully greeted, as her friend sat down next to her under the shade of the tree, which by now had lost all its leaves.

"What's up?" Neon asked. "You looked kind of down."

"Nah, I'm fine," Gon waved her worries away.

"Missing someone?"

"Maybe just a little," Gon admitted.

"That's to be expected," Neon sighed. "When someone you like isn't there, your heart naturally aches for them."

"Wow. You know a lot about missing people, huh," Gon said in amazement. Neon rolled her eyes.

"I do not. It's common sense," Neon pouted.

"Ne, do you have someone you like, Neon?"

Neon's pout faded to a small frown. "Yes."

"Really?" Gon asked, excited to know who this mystery person was. Neon seemed like a person with really high standards so they had to be amazing. "Who is it?"

"Not telling," Neon answered, turning her nose up in the air.

"Can't you at least describe them to me?" Gon pleaded. She really wanted to know. Curiosity ruled the girl.

"Well . . ."

"Well?"

"They have blonde hair up to here." She made a cutting gesture through a point midway between her elbow and shoulder. "And eyes, really big, black eyes that sparkle in the sunlight."

Blonde hair and black eyes. Why did that sound familiar?

"And they're really smart too. They seem to have the answer to everything. They're nice and sometimes they can even be sweet. They're always cute though, even though they can be scary."

There was so much love in those words, and yet they felt so bittersweet. Love seemed like a wonderful thing to be in.

"I hope one day, I'll be able to feel what you feel, Neon," Gon offered, sincerely.

Neon simply stared at her. And stared. And stared.

"What?"

"You . . . are such an idiot."

Gon tilted her head to the side, "I am?"

"Gon, you have a crush on Killua."

"No I don't -"

Neon put a finger to Gon's lips.

"Yes, you do. Here, describe Killua to me."

She did.

"You like him."

"I do?"

"Yes."

Well, Neon clearly had more experience than she did, so maybe she was right.

"But what do I do about it?"

"You tell him."

"Are you going to tell the person you like that you like them too?"

"Of course not, only people whose feelings are requited can confess."

"Oh," Gon nodded in understanding.

"So, when you meet again, what are you gonna do?"

"Go fishing!" Gon said, placing her fist in her free hand triumphantly. Neon facepalmed.

"You will confess."

"Confess to what?"

"Weren't you listening to a word I said. Confess that you like him," Neon said, tiredly.

"Oh. Okay!"

"You are way too fine with this."

 **NEXT TIME ON NAPP!:**

 **Here comes the boring court hearing. Let's see how that plays out. I've never been at a trial before. Meh, let's get this over with.**

 **A/N: You see how that last part is almost all dialogue? I got bored and didn't know what else to write.**

 **Question of the Day: How would you like the confession to go? Alone? In a crowd of people? Hugs? Kisses? Of course, kisses, it's a bloody KilluGon confession.**

 **Question of the Day #2: I'm making a fairytale AU with the HxH characters. I'm thinking Aladdin for KuroKura, and Cinderella for KilluGon ('cause why not). It's gonna be hilarious. Anyone interested in reading these one-shots (probably one-shots)?**

 **~Replies To Reviewers~**

 **Tigershiddeninshadows: Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you liked that reference to Machi so much. I just find the fact Hisoka has a crush on her hilarious, especially when he gets rejected. OMG, I will totally make Killua suffer through more HisoIllu friendship moments. I'm glad the background makes the obsession thing more believable because it's gonna come up several times.**

 **Akirsch-Senpai (ch 14): I'm glad you don't think they're OOC! And yeah, I think the HisoIllu friendship offers a lot of comedic potential like that. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **Sweets dreamer: A stand-off over Kurapika, hmm. I'm pretty sure Kurapika wouldn't be too happy about that. She'd probably yell their ears off for their stupidity. I'm not sure what Hisoka thinks he's achieved either, but you know what? Good for him. Not good for Machi or Illumi. I don't know if Chrollo would get fired. Honestly, Netero would probably find it hilarious and use it as blackmail. They won't be in that kind of relationship though (not yet, anyway). I'm glad you thought Alluka was well portrayed. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To EVERYONE: Thanks for coming back and reading this . . . thing. I really appreciate. If you'd like, please review, follow, and favorite. I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	21. Boring Court Hearings

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter**

 **Chapter 21: Boring Court Hearings (And How To Properly Avoid Writing About Them)**

Kurapika quickly fixed Leorio's tie. It had been crooked and that had been bothering her immensely. They were going to plead innocence in front of some of the most powerful people on the planet, and she'd be damned if they looked anything less than perfect.

"Hey, Kurapika?" Gon asked, looking down at her slightly less-than-perfect tie. "Did I get this right?"

Kurapika set it right wordlessly.

"Thanks, Kurapika!"

She smiled slightly.

"Ready for this?" she asked. Gon nodded fervently, her high ponytail bouncing along with her bobbing head. "Then let's go."

…

"Killua!" Gon called and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Gon," he greeted, enveloping her in his own embrace and burying his face in her shoulder.

"Oi, aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" another voice interrupted them. Leorio stood behind them with his arms crossed and a deep frown on his face.

"Don't be so paranoid, Leorio." Kurapika walked in with a stoic Chrollo hot on her heels. "It's just a hug."

"Just!?"

Killua sighed and tightened his grip slightly. It would be hard to find Gon alone today.

"You're on in three minutes," a small, green man in a suit informed. "Please ready yourselves."

Killua reluctantly released Gon and turned towards the other three. Kurapika gave him an encouraging smile. Leorio was still seething. Lucilfer, well, he just wore that same small, stoic smile that implied that he didn't give a shit about any of this.

"You'll do fine," Kurapika said. "Just answer their questions honestly and simply. They'll let you come back."

The two men beside her said nothing, but Kurapika nudged Leorio with her elbow. The man averted his eyes and pouted in frustration.

"Good luck, kid," he murmured.

"Nice to know you care, old man," Killua said.

"Old man!?"

"Time to go." The small, green man reappeared.

. . .

"Did you kill those people?"

"Yes."

"Do you feel remorse for what you've done?"

"Not really."

"Why?"

"I'm an assassin. It's just another life."

These questions were completely irrelevant. They should be asking if he had been under the influence of a threatening entity. They already knew he was a Zoldyck.

"So should circumstances allow it, you could go off on a killing spree once more."

Kurapika had had enough. She stood up.

"Your honor, with all due respect, I fail to see how hypothetical scenarios are pertinent to his case."

"We are primarily worried about the future of the actual school."

"I thought you were primarily concerned with the future of the student."

The judge frowned.

"Whatever gave you that idea?"

Kurapika's hands formed fists. So much for justice.

"Kurapika," Chrollo suddenly spoke, quietly enough for only her and her friends to hear, "stand down."

She grit her teeth and reluctantly sat down.

"I understand that you want them to do this case justice," Chrollo whispered, this time his words were only for her, "but justice is subjective. Not everything is as clear-cut as you might want them to be."

Kurapika wasn't naive. She'd known this already. Seriously though, they were in a bloody courthouse. There should be at least some semblance of justice in a place that preaches it.

"At the time of the crime, did you feel threatened, Mr. Zoldyck?" the judge continued.

"Not really."

The Kurta suddenly regretted telling Killua to stick to the truth.

"Then why did you do it?"

"Because he told me to."

"Who is this he?"

"My brother."

The judge was silent for a moment, as he leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers.

"He didn't threaten you, however," the judge clarified.

"No."

YES, HE DID!

Kurapika's fist clenched again, the urge to stand once more rising within her. But then she felt Chrollo's warm fingers pry her palm open and intertwine with her own fingers.

"Calm down," he whispered.

She relaxed a bit, but he didn't release her from her hand. The Kurta found that she didn't mind that much, but that was probably just because she was too busy controlling her temper.

"Very well," the judge announced, "the verdict has been reached. Killua Zoldyck shall remain in expulsion and may not attempt to apply once more until the dangers associated with him have disappeared."

"That's not fair!" Gon protested, getting up from her seat and walking into the aisle. Lovely, now Kurapika and Leorio would have to make sure Gon wasn't thrown out as well.

"The verdict has been reached," the judge repeated, firmly. "You may now leave."

Gon glared at them with such fervor it seemed they might catch on fire at any moment. "I. Will. Not."

"Security."

Dang.

Four men in black walked out of each of the doors. Gon didn't even give them a glance. She kept her gaze on the man in front of her, determined to stare him into submission.

Leorio got up as well. Kurapika watched him with a resigned expression. Why were all her friends absolutely insane?

Then, she walked to stand beside them, much more aware of the eight men approaching them than the other two were.

"The verdict has been reached," the judge said once more. "Leave, or you shall all be forcibly removed."

Kurapika felt just about ready to grab the other two and drag them out of the group, but then a silky voice interrupted her.

"I suggest you hear them out, your honor," Chrollo said, conversationally. A familiar glint of metal caught Kurapika's eye. It was one of his pens. He was threatening them.

The judge raised an eyebrow, probably looking for a way out of this situation. He then sighed, "very well. Make it quick."

He listened to him?

Chrollo placed his hands on her shoulders, leaned down, and whispered, "do your thing, devil's advocate." And he pushed her to the front of the group.

What? Why her?

His hands disappeared and she suddenly felt incredibly nervous. After all, the judge had at least twenty years under his belt, as was the standard. It was one thing to challenge him from her seat as a spectator. Another thing entirely to challenge him as a pseudo-lawyer.

"Well," her voice came out a little quieter than expected, a little more scared than she'd intended. She cleared her voice and continued, "the Zoldyck family is known for the training they put their children through. Many of these things could be viewed as child abuse, and yet, authorities have never stepped in to make sure the children aren't scarred for life. Correct?"

"Correct," the judge agreed, leaning back in his chair and watching her with a critical eye. She had his attention. Now, she had to make sure she didn't lose it.

"So, if the authorities had gotten involved, Killua Zoldyck perhaps wouldn't have a killing habit and therefore wouldn't have gone on a murder spree in the Academy, correct?"

"Indeed."

"So, in a way, the authorities are rather responsible for his state."

"Where are you going with this, young lady?" he asked, suspiciously.

"I'm saying that if you allow them to be born into a family such as that which allows its children to be subjected to torture, poison, killing, among other things, wouldn't it be safe to say that you create murderers and then punish them for something they can hardly control?"

"Go on." He was interested now. He wanted to see where she'd go with this. Kurapika thanked the gods that her improvising skills hadn't faded.

"Let us help him. We can make sure he doesn't go into assassin mode," Gon answered. Kurapika gave her a pointed look, a few seconds went by in which they engaged in a silent conversation, and then Gon stepped closer to Kurapika. "Killua isn't the type of person who would kill people. He just needs friends to help support him, that's all. He's never had anyone but his family, and his family wanted him to kill people. He's a good person who didn't get many chances to be good. Right, guys?" She turned to the other witnesses. They murmured their agreement, still trying to overcome the awesomeness that just occurred in front of them.

"I see your point," he muttered, then closed his eyes and muttered something under his breath. "Alright then, you win. However, if he steps out of line again, he's out."

They nodded, and Gon smiled triumphantly at Kurapika.

"And there's also the small problem of guardianship. His parents will most likely find it hard to allow him to come back."

"We've already established that they're not the best guardians." Kurapika took the reins again.

"He is not of age yet. He needs a guardian."

Kurapika's lips formed a thin line as she tried to recall the requirements for guardianship. She was certain she'd read about them before coming here. The guardian had to be at least eighteen years of age. Check. They had to show real concern for the child's welfare. Check. Chrollo, Leorio, and she all seemed to qualify. Then again, Chrollo didn't seem to care all that much for Killua so he was out. She couldn't be a guardian and succeed in her mission to annihilate the Phantom Troupe and get back what rightfully belonged to her. That only left Leorio.

She glanced at the man. He cared for Killua despite all his talk about how much he hated him. He had experience in a way as well. He'd taken care of her as well. Yeah, Leorio would work.

The phone suddenly rang, and the Judge picked up.

"Yes, this is Judge Montagu. Mr. Zoldyck! How are you, sir." He sounded so nervous that Kurapika almost laughed. "Yes, yes he's here. Put him on the phone? Of course."

He handed the phone to Killua, who put it up to his ear casually.

"Hey, dad."

A few seconds of silence passed as Killua listened to his father on the other side of the phone. It was maddening.

"Really. Okay." Killua handed the phone back, a small smirk forming on his face. That gave them some hope.

"Yes. Yes. I see. Of course, sir! All charges? Clear them all? Yes, sir. Of course, sir," the Judge nodded fervently as he listened. Then, he put the phone down and looked at Killua. "You get a clean slate, kid. Don't get in any more trouble, y'hear?"

"Yes, your honor," Killua said, a little mockingly, finally stepping down from the witness's chair. Gon raced forward and embraced him. She really was a total hugger. Killua returned the gesture, combing one hand through her dark hair.

The other three soon joined them.

…

"Well done, lawyer," he commented, as they walked out into the open air once more. At his words, she spun on her heels and wrapped her arms around his torso, covering her pale face in his chest. To say he was surprised was an understatement.

"That was the most terrifying experience I've ever encountered," she whispered, the words falling out of her mouth in a blur. So that's why she hugged him. Who knew she would be so willing to initiate physical contact after a slightly less-than-comfortable occurrence. Oh well, he might as well enjoy this sudden display of affection.

He pulled her closer to him until there was not an inch of anything separating their bodies. She gripped the fabric of his jacket, and he was ridiculously happy that they were the only ones who'd taken the exit through the garden. He hummed contently as he buried his face in her hair. It smelled nice. So much like her. He placed a kiss on her golden hair and suddenly wanted more. His grip tightened a little, as he thought of a way to distract himself.

"The fearless avenger, ladies and gentleman," he murmured, but he still didn't release her.

"Oh, shut up," she replied, but there was no malice in her words. The Kurta suddenly tilted her head up, black eyes rimmed with red when she realized just how _close_ they were. She quickly jumped away from him. "I'm sorry. That wasn't very professional of me."

"Kurapika," he said, a bit irked that she'd pushed him away. "We've kissed before. I think it's safe to say our relationship has gone far beyond the limits of a young lady and her guard."

"That was your fault, not mine," Kurapika defended, crossing her arms. "I refuse to apologize for your lack of control."

Lack of control? All he did was control himself. Especially when she did ridiculous things like hugging him and being generally adorable in everything she did.

That earring caught his eye again. It glittered in between those golden locks, bouncing ever so slightly from the girl's movements. The tree behind her suddenly seemed oddly well-placed.

He stepped closer to her. She stepped back. Step forward. Step back. Step forward. Step back. Stepping forward until she hit the tree. He could practically see her mind berating her for falling for something as obvious as this. Chrollo placed one hand on the bark of the tree, successfully caging the girl, who looked up at him defiantly.

"I recall that you had made no move to push me away that night," he whispered.

"So I was a bit shocked," she admitted. "You're the one who -"

"KURAPIKA!" Leorio came running into their little hideaway, panting hard and bending down to somehow help him regain his composure. He looked back up and his eyes widened a little. "What're you guys doing? At a time like this, too!"

Kurapika seemed to finally come to her senses and maneuvered herself out of her cage. Chrollo had come to his own senses a long time ago, but he didn't really feel like moving away just because some idiot had interrupted them.

"Calm down, Leorio. Tell us what happened," she said, clearly welcoming the distraction.

"Killua and Gon are gone!"

"They're probably together," Kurapika reassured. "They'll be fine."

"Fine? That's what I'm worried about! They're _together_! Two teenagers, hormones, zero supervision."

"What's the worst that can happen, Leorio?"

, . .

"Should we really be leaving Leorio alone like that?" Gon asked as the white-haired assassin dragged her out onto the roof of the building. He'd gone there a few hours prior while searching for the right place to confess. There had also been a small garden in the running, but he felt this was far more Gon-like.

"Don't worry, the old man can take care of himself," he reassured, letting go of her small hand.

"I suppose you're woah!" She'd noticed the view then. The sunset painted the sky, the small pond below them glittered in its rays. It was pretty in the way only nature could be.

The girl walked to the railing and leaned over a bit. Killua strolled over to join her, looking as casual as always, even though inside he felt his heart trying to bounce out of his rib cage.

"We're so high up," she noted.

"Yeah." _Yeah? That's all you could say? God, she probably thinks you're an idiot._

"Why'd you bring me up here?" she finally asked, eyes still on the scene he'd put in front of her.

"Well, I was thinking . . ."Dammit, how was he supposed to tell her?

"Thinking of what? You can tell me. Whatever it is. Cuz we're friends, y'know," she reassured, placing her hand on his.

Right, friends. What if she didn't want to be anything more?

 _What if she did?_

And that little seed of hope was what brought him to this point. That one little thought: the voice of his insanity.

"I . . ." his voice suddenly failed him. Gon looked at him, curiously.

"Are you okay, Killua? You look really red," she commented, worriedly, as she moved her hand up to feel his forehead. "Do you have a fever?"

"Ah, no." He pushed her hand away. "I'm fine."

"Oh." Her hands went back to gripping the railing. "So, what did you wanna tell me?"

"I, well . . ." _Don't be such a coward, you prat. Just tell her. You're finally alone._ "Do you want to go out sometime."

 _That's not the same thing, prat!_

 **Shut up, it's close enough.**

"Go out?" She turned back at him, the sun's light hitting her, making the girl almost glow in its rays. She was so beautiful.

"Like . . . on a . . . date?" he said, uncertainly.

"Oh, sure," she replied, smiling that pearly smile.

"Where do you wanna go?" Killua asked, still chastising himself for not saying what he'd meant to say.

She thought for a bit, considering his question far too seriously than he'd intended her to. "Anywhere's fine really. As long as it's with Killua."

That was so adorable!

The heat rushed to his face, and he averted his eyes. It really wasn't fair how she could make him feel like a lovesick idiot at the drop of a hat.

"Oh, and Killua?" she continued unexpectedly. She took him by the collar and kissed him before he had any time to react. And just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. "I like you too."

She'd known the whole time?

 _Like you care. You got a bloody kiss. If you hadn't acted like a total idiot, it might've lasted longer._

 **Shut up.**

 **NEXT TIME ON NAPP!:**

 **KilluGon date, I guess. I really don't have this thing outlined. I feel like it'll just be the calm before the storm thing.**

 **A/N: As usual there's just as much KuroKura as there is KilluGon. I really need to work on that. I just really like KuroKura scenes. They're too fun to write because Chrollo knows his feelings too well and Kurapika is completely oblivious to her own.**

 **Question of the Day: Where do you want the KilluGon date to be?**

 **Replies to Reviewers**

 **Tigershiddeninshadows: I'm glad you're interested in those one-shots because I'm really excited for them. Thanks for the review as always. It makes me super happy. I hope you enjoyed this chapter : )**

 **Sweets dreamer: Man, you've got these characters down so well. And don't feel too bad about Hisoka. He probably enjoys it when people run from him. He's a psychopathic pervert first and foremost. Aw, anything I write? Your loyalty warms my heart and makes my writer brain do a happy dance. Thanks for the review, friend. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I liked writing it : )**

 **~End of Replies~**

 **To Everybody: Thank you for reading this chappie. I hope you enjoyed reading it and that it gave you some semblance of satisfaction. Now, if you would be so kind as to write something in the review box below. It would be very much appreciated. My name is Chocoholic221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	22. Date Night!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter X Hunter. Please show your support for the official release. BTW, Hunter x Hunter's coming back on June 26th! This is gonna be crazy!**

 **(A/N: We're almost at sixty reviews, guys. Like, OMG. I sound like a teenager. I don't care. I'm so excited! Let's shoot for seventy next! I LOVE YOU ALL! I KNOW WE CAN DO IT! Okay, done with caps lock. Enjoy the chapter, dears.)**

 **Chapter 22: Date Night**

 _"Oh, and Killua?" she continued. She took him by the collar and kissed him before he had any time to react. And just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. "I like you too."_

She couldn't believe she actually did that! What would Aunt Mito say?

Gon shifted in her bed to stare at the ceiling. She felt like her entire body was overheating. Opening the window should help cool her down.

The girl quietly got out of bed and tiptoed to the window. She breathed a small sigh of relief when the cool night air greeted her. It reminded Gon of Whale Island.

"Gon," a voice whispered. A familiar voice that sent the heat right back into her face.

"Killua!" she greeted, cheerfully. Nothing was wrong. Just keep calm.

"Are you okay?" he asked, leaning on his elbows over the window ledge and gazing at her with curious blue eyes.

"Who? Me! Oh, I'm fine! I'm just a little . . ." Nervous, high-strung, terrified. "Excited."

"Hmm," Killua gave an affirmative hum. "Me too."

"Killua?"

"Yeah?"

"What exactly do boyfriends and girlfriends do together on dates?" she asked, innocently. Gon honestly had no idea. There weren't many young couples on Whale Island. Most of the 'young people' had hightailed it out of her hometown the day they were allowed to. She supposed she was no different.

Killua's face reddened.

"W-well," he cleared his throat, "It depends. I guess they just go places together."

"But Killua," she started, "we already do that."

He turned to look at her, a small smirk forming on his face. "Guess we've been dating for a lot longer than we thought."

Gon stared at him for a few seconds as she processed his words. Then, she beamed at him, suddenly feeling a whole lot better.

The window of the room in between them slammed open.

"Keep it down!" a grumpy Leorio yelled at them. "Some people are trying to sleep here!"

"You're even more of an old man when you're angry," Killua commented.

"Old man?!"

The window closest to Gon and farthest from Killua slowly crept open, and a very tired blonde peered out at them.

"Why are you two fighting?" she yawned, as she leaned her cheek on her hand. "It's two am. Can't you wait a couple more hours?"

"They're being noisy!" Leorio complained. "And I'm trying to sleep! But I can't sleep because they're too bloody noisy! It's ridiculous!"

"You're the noisiest one here, Leorio," Kurapika informed him, and Gon couldn't help but agree. Leorio could be pretty loud, but that's what made him Leorio.

"Hey! Whose side are you on?" Leorio demanded, pointing at the Kurta angrily.

Kurapika muttered something that even Gon couldn't hear, but knowing Kurapika, it was probably something that would annoy Leorio a lot.

Something was suddenly flung at Kurapika. Well, someone. Kurapika simply shot the window on them. The attacker slid down a bit before finally hurling toward the ground. Kurapika opened the window again.

"Idiot," she muttered to herself. Gon agreed with that too. They couldn't be very smart if they just tossed themselves at Kurapika.

"Oi, you on the roof!" Leorio yelled. Gon looked up to see a bored-looking Mr. Lucilfer laying on his side, supporting his head with one hand and twirling one of his deadly pens with the other. "Do your job!"

Mr. Lucilfer raised one challenging eyebrow, and Gon suddenly felt very nervous. The same way she thought a sailor would feel right before a storm struck.

She and Killua shared one look of understanding and decided it was time to retreat. This was not their fight. She glanced back to Kurapika's window. Its owner was nowhere in sight. Kurapika had probably thought the same.

. . .

Morning came, and Gon's heart felt as if it might just jump out of her chest. That was fine because it wasn't a bad sort of jumping anymore. After all, if Killua was with her, everything would be alright.

Linia was a small town hidden in the shadow of the mountains. A stark contrast to the grand university just a few minutes away, the town was quaint and warm and welcoming and so much like Whale Island that Gon already felt at home there. The people were really nice too and gave her lots of free stuff.

By lunchtime, Gon and Killua had a bunch of new friends and two empty stomachs. After asking around a bit, they found that the best place to eat was at a small cafe on the outskirts of town.

The door creaked open and the two friends-turned-something-more walked into the cozy cafe. It was rather old-fashioned with red, leather couches lined up against the windows and circling the wooden tabled. A few small, round coffee tables were scattered around the room. It all gave Gon a warm feeling inside.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" a voice said, dramatically. A man suddenly raced towards them. Well, walked towards them very quickly. "Two young people in love? Such an honor to be of service to the incredible miracle of love!"

He was very excited, Gon noted, and that probably meant them being here made him really happy. That made Gon happy too. She liked making others smile.

The man pushed some gray hair out of his eyes. He didn't look very old, but not very young either. Something in the middle, probably. His irises were colored a pretty brown color that reminded Gon of chocolates and brownies and chocolate chips. They glittered at them with kindness. Gon knew he was a nice man from the start.

"Come, come," he said, ushering them further into the cafe. "Lunch is on the house, my dears."

He had them sit down at the bar stools by the counter while he got them the cafe special. He came back with two bowls stuffed to the top with noodles.

"Two yakisoba chickens coming up," he said, placing the noodles in front of them. They smelled so good! "A Japponese classic. I fell in love with it the moment I tried some in Nara."

Gon took the chopsticks on the table. She'd never eaten with these before! She'd always wanted to try, though!

"First time eating with chopsticks?" the man asked, watching her fumble with the two wooden eating utensils. She nodded, and the kindly man took out his own pair of chopsticks. "It was confusing for me too, at the start. Here, I'll show you. First, hold the upper chopstick like a pencil. Good. Now, place the second chopstick against your ring finger. Hold it with your thumb. Alright, now just move the upper chopstick with your thumb, index, and middle finger. Awesome sauce, you've got it!"

Awesome sauce?

"So, where are you kids from?" the man asked as he started wiping the counter clean. "I don't think I've seen you around here before."

"We're from Seikatsu Academy," Gon said, as she slurped her noodles. Killua gave her a strange look. "What?"

"You can't answer everyone's questions so honestly."

"Why not?" He'd given them food. This was the least she could do. Killua turned back to his noodles, looking a bit frustrated. Was he angry with her? "Killua?"

"Yeah?" he asked as he took a bite of chicken.

"Are you mad?"

His eyes dropped to the floor as he pondered his answer. He then shook his head. "Nah. You're hard to get angry at. You just trust people too easily. Makes me worried"

"Really?"

"Really."

"Awwwww," the owner fawned, smiling at them as he rested his cheek on his hand. "You two are so adorable. Well, I should probably leave you two alone." He picked up the cloth he used to clean up a bit and turned to leave through the kitchen door.

"Oh, wait!" Gon suddenly remembered something very important. "What's your name, Mister?"

He paused at the door for a few seconds, then turned around and smiled. "Just call me Jacques."

"Jacques," Gon repeated, as was her habit. "Bye, Mr. Jacques! Thanks for the food!"

He chuckled. "Your welcome."

. . .

"A traveling carnival?" Gon repeated, excitedly, eyes shining at the prospect. She hardly remembered the last time she had been to a carnival.

The nice lady nodded as she placed some things on the shelf behind her. "The whole town looks forward to visits. Always much fun," she said in a thick, unrecognizable accent. "Good place to take on a date."

"We have to go," Gon said, determinedly grabbing Killua's arm and giving him a pleading gaze. "Please?"

Killua blushed slightly at their proximity. "Well . . ."

Her hold on his appendage tightened. "Please?"

He looked at her and felt practically felt himself fall into her trap. "Okay."

"Yay!" she cheered, but then she quickly became serious again. "Only if you really want to go too, Killua. I want you to like it as much as I do, because this is our first date and I want it to be a good memory for the both of us."

He smiled at her, fondly. "Yeah, I really want to go there with you too."

Gon blushed ever so slightly.

 _With you._

As long as they were together.

. . .

The first thing they did, of course, was going to the cotton candy stand. Gon adored cotton candy. Not because it was sickeningly sweet, but because it was fun to eat.

"That stuff causes cavities, y'know," Killua scolded while munching on his chocobot.

"So does chocolate," she countered.

They glared at each other for a few seconds, but then both burst into laughter in a true Killua-and-Gon fashion.

Gon pulled Killua to the bumper cars next. Why? Well, it just seemed like fun, and after spending six weeks with his family, Gon thought fun was something Killua desperately needed. Besides, she was an expert at bumper cars.

He laughed. Everyone was laughing really. But his laugh was the only one she truly heard. He'd laughed before, of course, but never like this. Never this genuine. Never this loud and carefree. Gon gave herself an A+ in Operation Get-Killua-To-Laugh. She hadn't even known it was part of her plan, but she guessed she was flexible enough to add it to the list.

"That was fun," Killua commented as they walked hand-in-hand down the grassy carpet.

"I know, right!" Gon exclaimed, excitedly. "I knew you'd like it. Who doesn't like bumper cars? It's so fun to crash into people! Well . . ." she trailed off in thought. "I suppose it wouldn't be very fun in real life. But when it's just a game it's tons of fun."

"Gon," he started, but for some reason, he trailed off after calling her name.

"Yes, Killua?" she asked.

"Thanks."

She looked at him, a bit surprised, but then she gave him that beaming smile of hers. She didn't say anything afterward. She didn't have to. That much she'd learned over the past few months.

. . .

The lights of the various booths and rides illuminated the night, but the light of the Ferris wheel outshined them all in the cloudy night. Gon gazed at the giant structure in amazement. She'd never seen one so big before.

"Wanna go?" Killua asked, looking up at the spinning wheel albeit with a little less fervid enthusiasm. Gon simply nodded, rendered speechless by the Ferris wheel.

The operator greeted them cheerfully and hurried them into a bright orange passenger car, saying that the next round was starting in thirty second. The seats were really comfortable, even though they did seem a little worn out. That must mean people really liked riding on this Ferris wheel.

With a slight jolt, the giant wheel started turning. Gon looked over the side of the passenger car and watched the operator get smaller and smaller. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a familiar head of gray hair.

"Hello, Mr. Jacques!" She waved at him frantically. Killua made no move to acknowledge his presence. Gon got the feeling he didn't like Mr. Jacques very much. Weird. Mr. Jacques seemed really nice. Plus, he gave them free food. The only other person who ever gave her free food was Aunt Mito and Aunt Mito was one of the nicest people Gon knew.

"Gon, doesn't he remind you of someone?" he asked, eyes narrowed suspiciously as he gave Mr. Jacques a suspicious look.

She tried to match Mr. Jacques to any of the people she currently knew, which was a lot, but in the end, she decided she hadn't a clue what Killua was talking about. "Not really. Should he?"

Killua shook his head. "Nah. Don't worry about it."

So he should, but Killua wasn't going to tell her because he thought she'd worry.

"Killua," she said, sliding closer to him so their shoulders touched. "Tell me."

"It's nothing, really," he asserted, looking away from her. Gon pouted. She didn't like it when people kept secrets from her.

"Don't be like that," she complained, moving even closer. So close that she could see every single eyelash and all the different shards of blue in his irises. "Tell me."

Killua averted his eyes. "It's not that important."

Gon leaned back in their seat and pouted ever so slightly. She wasn't going to say anything more. After all, how important could it be if Killua didn't feel the need to tell her?

Perhaps, only as important as his heritage as a Zoldyck. No biggie.

She turned back to where Mr. Jacques had stood before. If Killua figured out who he was, then she could to. Mr. Jacques was already gone though. She tilted her head to the side in confusion, her nose crinkling slightly. Where had he disappeared to? She scanned the fairgrounds. They'd only been arguing for a few seconds. Mr. Jacques couldn't be that fast, could he?

"Gon," Killua spoke again. Gon turned back to him, ready to hear out any request. "He reminded me of someone I once knew, that's all. I wasn't really sure, so I thought you might know them too."

"Oh." She got the feeling that wasn't completely true, but she put that thought on the back-burner for now. Killua wouldn't lie to her. Still, she really wanted to know who this person was. She never wore patience well.

Killua chuckled. "You look like you just swallowed a lemon."

She smiled. "Well, it's your fault."

"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up during our date," he apologized, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. Killua could be really cute sometimes. Even if he was an ex-assassin. He was a really sweet ex-assassin.

She shook her head, dark locks bouncing a little in the wind. "It's okay."

Killua reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. He was really warm, so different from the icy wind signifying the coming of winter.

"It's hard to believe . . ." he trailed off. Gon blinked a little and waited for him to continue. He didn't.

"Hard to believe what?" she whispered. Killua leaned in to place his forehead on hers, small, content smile playing on his face. She felt her heartbeat pick up again and the heat rush to her face a bit too quickly. She felt his breath brush her lips. She felt so many things and they all came flooding in too quickly. Blue eyes took in her expression and a smirk replaced the smile. He was planning something.

He pressed his lips to hers, ever so slowly, giving her plenty of time to push him away. When she didn't, his hand came to caress her cheek, and Gon responded by leaning into his touch.

There it was.

That feeling. The one that made her feel like every inch of her was on fire. What was it?

Killua licked her bottom lip, and Gon moaned and parted her lips. Killua took advantage of the gap, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer as he dove in. Gon's hand made its way to his neck, even though she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. Sometimes, instincts had to be allowed to steer. Especially when her brain had decided this was all too much for it.

She was brought back to Earth by something cold landing on her head. Barely noticeable to a normal person, but Gon was more sensitive than an average person.

She broke the kiss and looked towards the heavens. Amber eyes lit up at the sight.

"It's snowing," she breathed, watching the little flakes dance down from the heavens, swirling and twirling like they were having the time of their lives.

Gon looked back at Killua, who had also been gazing at the sky. A few of the snowflakes had landed in his silver hair, not that you could really tell.

She ran a hand through the silky, snow-colored locks. "Your hair matches it, Killua."

He didn't respond, deciding to just lean in and kiss her again.

 **NEXT TIME ON NAPP!:**

 **Kurapika figures out she might like Chrollo. She responds in a very Kurapika-like manner. The Academy is also in a very festive mood, because Christmas is coming and so is Winter Break. Guess where the gang's heading for those two weeks.**

 **(A/N: I suck at kiss scenes. They're just so awkward for me. I've never really been in love either, so romance is difficult for me to imagine. That's okay, though. I tried my best. Also, unedited chapter. Unedited story, really. I don't read through any of my stuff.)**

 **Question of the Day: Was it terrible? What was terrible, you ask? Well, just the whole thing. Was it terrible?**

 **Question of the day #2: I dunno. Suggestions for side stories, anyone?**

 **Question of the Day #3: Is Gon crossing the line into being annoying, or is she still cute? I'm not quite sure anymore.**

 **~REPLIES TO REVIEWERS~**

 **Akirsch-Sempai: She's a little nervous here. I intended her be a bit in "what-did-I-just-do" mode before the date and then make her relax as the date went on. Okay, so it's not really that unique to go to a carnival for a date and have a ferris wheel kiss, but I mean, who can say no to a ferris wheel kiss? Those things are adorbs. And Gon is in love. I just picture her as a person who easily shows her affections for others (but perhaps is a bit surprised when the other person makes a move instead). And don't worry about reviewing late. I love all reviews equally, and it always warms my heart to see a new one in my inbox. Hope you enjoyed this chappie. Thnx for reviewing.**

 **Sweets dreamer: Chrollo does need to control himself. The perv. Don't worry, he's gonna be keeping his distance for the next few chapters (it'll annoy Kurapika a lot, though). Leorio's gonna protect everyone with his awesome suitcase. No one's gonna be coming anywhere near Kurapika and Gon (and Neon) on his watch. He's such a father. No beach (because it's Winter). Sort of a mountain, since Linia is in the mountains. Hope you're cool with a carnival date instead. Hope you liked this chapter. I worked super hard on making it believable. As always, thank you for your wonderful reviews.**

 **Shishi: Welcome to the NAPP! Family. I'm so glad you like Kurapika. She's my favorite character to right, along with Killua. I relate to her the most. Aww, you like everything. That makes me cry tears of joy. The end, huh? That's gonna take a while, because I'm writing a sequel too. The sequel will be a lot more angsty, because it's technically the York New City arc reimagined. Ready your tissue box for that one. Not yet, though. NAPP is a happy place. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review. They mean a lot more than anyone will ever know.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **Everyone: I hope you liked this KilluGon chapter. Now, if you would be so kind as to leave a few words for me in the form of a review, that would be greatly appreciated. My name is Chocoholic221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	23. Attraction? As if Zombie Apocalypse 1

**Chapter 23: Attraction? As if!/ Zombie apocalypse #1.**

Kurapika couldn't sleep. Which was technically fine, since it meant that she could study all night. Unfortunately, her brain couldn't seem to focus on one thought for more than five minutes because it kept bringing up that memory.

 _She spun on her heels and wrapped her arms around his torso, covering her pale face in his chest. He pulled her closer to him until there was not an inch of anything separating their bodies. She gripped the fabric of his jacket. He buried his face in her hair. She gazed into those dark, dark eyes._

She groaned as her head hit the table. Her face had to be so red right now. Thank God, no one was here with her.

She vaguely heard the sound of the window opening. Nevermind then. Bring it on, world.

"Why are you still awake?" a baritone voice asked. The Kurta could practically hear the laughter in that silky voice.

 _Stop making him sound attractive._

It wasn't like she was making it up! His voice was silky!

God, she sounded like a teenage girl. Which she was, but that didn't mean she had to act like it. She wasn't a typical teenage girl, after all. Her entire clan was wiped out when she was just thirteen, and ever since only one goal had permeated into her every thought: To avenge them. She certainly had no time for attractive bodyguards.

"I'll go to sleep right after I'm done with this," she said, straightening up and directing her chocolate eyes to scan the page, even if she wasn't quite processing the words.

But then, the book was swiped from her hands.

"Biochemistry?" he asked. "Don't you have a hundred in that class?"

"A hundred and three. I found a few mistakes on the last test," she muttered. Then, she reached out to take the book out of his grip. He let her, his hands falling to his sides. "Anyway, there's always room for improvement."

"Your classmates must find you incredibly annoying," he chuckled, leaning back against the wall. "Anyhow, get some sleep. Or you might find those perfect marks falling."

"I'm not tired," she replied, flipping back to the page she had previously been staring at and trying to ignore the other occupant. "Give me another hour. I'll probably fall asleep by then."

"Hmm." He walked to the window. "I'll be back in an hour." And he was gone.

Kurapika relaxed considerably, leaning back in her chair with a relieved sigh. He really was too much trouble. Why couldn't Netero find her a less charming, more ordinary person to be her bodyguard?

She closed her eyes, trying to channel the Kurapika who had originally hated the man. Why had she decided to hate him again? Oh yes, the elevator incident.

Funny, elevators never seemed to bother her anymore.

Why had she been afraid of them in the first place? For the life of her, she couldn't remember. How vexing. It sometimes felt that man knew more about her than she did. Was she becoming predictable? No, even she couldn't always foresee how she'd react to something. He did. As if he'd known her all her life. As if he had a puzzle piece that no one else seemed to be able to find. As if he remembered something about her that she didn't.

Which was ridiculous because all her memories were perfectly intact.

Right?

She didn't think she was missing anything anyway.

. . .

Kurapika's eyes opened to the pale red ceiling. Somehow, through the course of the night, she'd found herself back in bed. The Kurta didn't quite remember when she'd decided to turn in for the night, but she guessed she was in too much of a daze to remember.

She got up, her head swam but she ignored the slight pain. Her eyes landed on the digital clock on her nightstand. The blonde nearly fell out of bed in her hurry to get out of it.

 _7:45_

Her hands reached out to grip the blue time-teller, legs still tangled in the sheets, as if making sure that it was real and not some sick prank or apparition. It felt real enough.

She unraveled herself from the blasted sheets. She perhaps could've left her bed in that messy state, but Kurapika disliked leaving her room in a clutter, so she took the time to tidy it up. She decided breakfast wasn't that important as she got ready. After all, lunch was only four hours away.

The blonde hurried to the door of the dorm, checking her bag one more time before finally leaving.

. . .

She hadn't noticed he hadn't shown up until halfway through her first class, but when she did she couldn't help but worry a little bit. Only a little bit, and only for a few seconds before she realized that he could take care of himself perfectly well. He was probably just busy.

Right, there was nothing to worry about.

With that conclusion in mind, Kurapika could finally focus on the teacher's lecture. Well, mostly on the teacher's lecture.

. . .

Four hours later, Chrollo was nowhere in sight and Kurapika was getting ever-so-slightly angry with him. So, when some of the crazy people who've been trying to kill her since the year started came up to her with a baseball bat, she might've vented on them a little bit. Only until they were knocked out. They were rather persistent, though that was really the only thing they had going for them. Whoever was controlling these guys wasn't very good at picking the right candidates for murder. Chrollo thought they were a waste of perfectly good pens. Which was a horrible thing to say, but coming from him it almost sounded normal.

She grimaced as she walked away from the unconscious victims of her wrath, a new frustration reeling its head. How come when she finally gets a moment of peace, all she could think of was the one who kept destroying it?

"Kurapika!" a high-pitched voice called. A blue-haired heiress grabbed her arm rather tightly and gazed up at her with wide blue eyes filled with hope.

"Hello, Neon," she said, voice a bit strained because the girl's nails were biting into her flesh.

"Where is that bodyguard of yours?" she asked, eyes surveying her surrounding, looking for a dark-haired man in a suit.

"He apparently decided to take a day off. He'll be back by tomorrow," Kurapika replied, though she had no idea if he actually would. For all she knew, he could be gone for months.

"Oh?" Neon said, voice a mixture of excitement and surprise. She didn't know what was so surprising about this whole thing. It wasn't like they spend all their time together. "Well, I don't suppose you would mind joining me for lu-"

"Kurapika!" Leorio suddenly appeared behind her and draped an arm around her shoulders. "Time for lunch. Where we goin'?"

"Hey!" Neon yelled, indignantly. Kurapika sighed as the two started to argue. She untangled herself from her two friends. Why did they always have to bring her into their banters?

"Oi, Kurapika." Leorio caught up to her. "Are you okay?"

"Who? Me?" Kurapika asked, genuinely curious. "I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you did just knock out half a dozen people," he said, glancing back at the bodies strewn across the field.

"They attacked me," she answered, hating how the simplicity of that answer reminded her of Chrollo.

"You hate violence."

"I have limits."

Leorio gave her a doubtful look. "You looked like you were venting or something. You never lose your cool like that."

"I wasn't losing . . ." she trailed off. Perhaps, she had gotten a little carried away.

"You skipped breakfast again, didn't you?"

She averted her eyes. Leorio sighed, draping his arm over her shoulders again.

"No wonder you're acting weird," he muttered. "I keep telling you not to go out on an empty stomach. You're scary when you're hungry."

"I'm always scary," she said.

"Scarier," he amended, giving her a grin. "Gon and Killua are probably waiting for us anyway."

. . .

"So, this is the place?" Kurapika asked, staring at the cabin-like restaurant.

"Yep," Leorio confirmed, looking down at the directions Killua had given him. "They came here for their _date,"_ he choked on that last word. "Apparently, the owner is a saint."

"Is the food any good?" she asked.

"Gon thinks so," he said. Kurapika smirked. That could mean a number of things.

"Kurapika! Leorio!" Gon waved them over as they walked in. "Over here!"

"I think they see us," Killua deadpanned, but a small smile still made its way to his lips. His comment flew over her head as usual. Kurapika and Leorio took their seats across from the couple.

"Welcome," a feminine voice greeted, as its owner walked out from the kitchen, "may I take your order?"

Gon raised her hand. "I'll have this." She pointed to something on her menu.

"A splendid choice, Miss," the woman praised, scribbling the order on her notepad. She turned to Killua. "And you?"

"I'll have that tortellini thing everyone keeps talking about," Killua answered. The woman nodded, then turned to the other two.

"I'll have the same," Kurapika replied. She had a soft spot for that dish. It had been her favorite food back in the Kurta Village.

"I'll have a croissant," Leorio said, simply. Kurapika frowned.

"That's it?" she asked. He gave her a confused look. "You're already too thin. You need to eat more. He'll have the lasagna."

"Hey!"

"One lasagna dish coming up," the woman said, sweetly.

"What? Wait!" Leorio said, indignantly. He then glared at Kurapika. "I wanted my croissant."

"And you'll get it. Along with the lasagna."

"But I'm not that hungry."

Those two could argue about the oddest things. They argued all the way until the woman came back with their food, said thank you, and went back to arguing.

"Oi, the food's gonna get cold," Killua berated as he popped one of the ring-shaped pieces of pasta in his mouth. He swallowed, his eyes widened, his face paled. His friends gave him worried looks.

"Killua, are you okay?" Gon asked. Killua covered his mouth with his hand.

"Don't eat anything," he muttered. "It's poisoned."

The three went rigid.

"Will you be alright?" Gon asked.

"Yeah. I'm immune. Tastes gross, though," he said, crinkling his nose. "Highly concentrated Deadly Nightshade. It'd kill a normal human in under three seconds."

Killua glanced at the woman, who was currently tidying up the counter like she hadn't just spiked their food with one of the deadliest poisons in the world. His eyes met Kurapika's and a mutual understanding passed between them.

 _It's time to bail._

"Gon," he whispered, "Leorio. We're leaving. Act natural."

They gave him two almost identical grins.

"There is nothing natural about that," he hissed, then caught himself. He had to remain calm. The ex-assassin would much prefer they got out of here without a fight, but if they couldn't, well, they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

"Well," he said, rising up from his seat and putting his arms behind his head. "We're gonna be late. Thanks for the food, lady."

His friends followed suit. So far, so good. They passed the counter. She didn't bat an eye. Walked through the aisle leading to the door. Nothing. Maybe she was out of ideas. Not brave enough to come after them. Kurapika reached for the doorknob.

Something whistled past them. A knife. Kurapika dodged the hit to her head. It grazed her cheek instead.

The four friends didn't turn back. Kurapika flung the door open and they ran out of the shop as a dozen knives embedded themselves in the mahogany.

They didn't get far. A group of villagers encircled the cabin.

"Going so soon?" the slender woman from the restaurant asked, looking far less sweet when she was juggling wickedly sharp kitchen knives. "You didn't finish your food."

The four jumped into defensive poses.

"Oh my, such hostility," the woman said. She sent a few knives flying their way. "You should really be taught some manners."

They all dodged them, but somehow, they felt that the woman wasn't really trying very hard.

The other villagers joined in. One woman lunged at Kurapika, who dodged only to be met by the end of another villager's thin switchblade. Killua knocked a few of the zombie-look-alikes out, all while trying not to kill them and keeping an eye on Gon. She was holding up surprisingly well. Better than Leorio, who'd taken to just flinging his suitcase at them. To each their own.

The four aspiring hunters continued on like that for quite some time: Kurapika mostly dodging, Killua trying not to kill people, Gon doing her own, surprisingly effective, thing, Leorio doing _his_ own, slightly less effective, thing. The zombies, Killua had taken up to calling them zombies, just kept coming, replacing their fallen comrades. Killua vaguely wondered how many people lived in the village, perhaps eventually they would run out of zombies to send. How many have they taken out by now? About a hundred, he would say.

Good thing most of the villagers weren't trained fighters. That would've been annoying.

Eventually, they seemed to reach the light at the end of the tunnel. The path to the Academy seemed to clear. The zombies seemed to vanish. But then, Killua felt it. That aura. It was just like Illumi's.

The woman with the knives landed right in front of them, smiling psychotically as she pulled out a few more knives.

"Come, children. You can't leave now. We're just getting started," she said, pleasantly, her voice a stark contrast to the murderous intentions she clearly possessed.

He couldn't move. His mind screamed for him to do something, but as he gazed at the woman any messages his brain was sending were being blocked by some outside force. Killua knew his friends were in a similar situation without having to even look at them. The woman smirked and leaped, knives flying. They steeled themselves, but instead of a kitchen utensil in the gut, they were sprayed with blood. Blood that didn't belong to them.

And then a chuckle.

"Guess Danchou had a point when he told me to follow you four around," a sneaky, slick voice said. Hisoka stood in place of the woman, who now lay sprawled out on the floor in a pool of her own blood.

"You killed her," Leorio hissed, disapprovingly. The doctor in him probably seething at this point. Killua turned to look at Gon who didn't look quite as mad as their older friend. Kurapika's face was unreadable, but knowing her stance on murder, she was probably pretty angry too. The assassin didn't mind as much. He kind of did save their necks here.

"No," Hisoka said, waving the thought away cheerfully. "I just gravely injured her. With proper care, she'll pull through."

"We're miles away from the closest hospital!" Leorio yelled, already flying off the handle. "She'll die by then!"

"Why so upset?" Hisoka asked. "She tried to kill you."

"She's clearly been played with!" Leorio spat. "Besides, it doesn't matter what she's done. What kind of person would I be if I just left her to bleed to death?"

"A really bad doctor?" Hisoka joked. "Alright then. How about you call for help? You can stay by her side until they come. Blondie has to come with me though."

"I'm staying here," Kurapika quickly responded. "They're after me. I can't allow another to die because of that. And if my friends are dragged into this, it'd be irresponsible to leave them here to fight my battle."

Hisoka pouted. "What a speech. Fine. Danchou won't be happy about this though." His creepy face broke into a creepier grin. "How exciting."

They ignored that comment, turning instead to the young woman. Leorio tried his best to keep her afloat. Gon somehow convinced Hisoka to find a place that had service and call for help. Kurapika did what she could to help. Gon found some plants that were known to help blood clot. Killua watched as they struggled to keep her alive and found that he didn't quite understand why. She'd attacked them, she'd tried to kill them, she'd almost succeeded. Wouldn't it make more sense to let her die?

. . .

Half an hour later, an emergency airship arrived. They promised to let them know if the woman survived or not. They didn't ask how she'd come to be in such a bloodied state. Either they didn't care, or they just assumed it was the creepy clown who did it.

. . .

Fifteen minutes later, they were back in the Academy. Well, in their dorm. They were sort of drenched in blood at this point and arriving to class with someone else's plasma on your hands might look a bit suspicious. They were already late anyway. There was no point in going back at this point.

"I hope that lady will be okay," Gon muttered as she ate her sandwich, a bit less cheerful than usual.

"She'll be fine. The wound wasn't that bad. It was a clean cut. All her vital organs were fine too," Leorio explained, before biting into his own sandwich.

"How can you all eat after seeing that?" Kurapika asked. She might've seen some gruesome things in her life, but that didn't mean she could just brush this incident off and stuff her face.

"I'm a doctor."

"I'm hungry."

"I've seen worse."

"Got it," Kurapika muttered, getting up from the table.

"Where are you going?" Leorio asked.

"A walk."

. . .

 _School Psychologist_

 _Chrollo Lucilfer_

Kurapika gazed up at that black sign, taking in the swirly gold letters, and wondering what the hell she was doing here.

She'd meant to go on a walk to clear her head and forget about her run-in with death earlier today. So what was she doing here? In front of the door of the man who she'd come to only slightly tolerate in the past few months. The man who made it his mission to aggravate her.

She shook her head and started walking away. There was no reason for her to be here.

And yet, she was.

Her footsteps halted. She never did things without a reason. Everything she did was for her revenge, and there had never been room for anything else. Then her friends somehow squeezed their way into her hardened heart. That wasn't so strange. Her friends had earned their place in her life. This man hadn't. Sure, he saved her life a few times, but that was no reason to make her feel this way. To make her want to see him. To make her miss him. After all, he only did all that because it was his job.

 _Silly girl. You don't actually believe that._

Kurapika grimaced. Why must her inner self always be so argumentative?

She analyzed their interactions up till now. The gestures, the worrying, the kiss in the observatory, his strange behavior in the garden.

No, she knew that he cared about her to some degree. But that was no reason for her to absentmindedly seek him out.

Unless her own feelings had surpassed her ability to think rationally. Not many emotions could bring something like that out in a person, Hatred and love were among those lucky few, along with jealousy and greed. She knew this wasn't jealousy. She hadn't sunk that low yet. Hatred was far more likely, but who seeks out a person they hate without having to even think about it?

Screw it. She knew denial when she saw it. She was romantically attracted to him, and she'd been denying it this whole time.

Never in a million years would she have thought a person like her would try to hide something like that from herself. It was a move only teenage girls made.

Well, no matter. Now that she had pinpointed the problem, she could focus on getting rid of it.

After all, the first step to recovery was admitting you had a problem.

 **Next On NAPP!:**

 **Turns out getting rid of emotions is harder than our favorite Kurta expected. Chrollo's even more protective than before.**

 **(A/N: So, Kura knows she likes Chrollo. Of course, she sees the feeling as an obstacle. I don't know. I feel like Kurapika would be that type of person to recognize his feelings and then be like "Oh goodie, now that I've found what this thing is I can kill it!")**

 **Question of the Day: Am I terrible person for making Kurapika react to her feelings this way?**

 **Question of the Day #2: What did you think of the zombie apocalypse?**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Tigershiddeninshadows: Aw! Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Shishi: I know. I wanted to show that KilluGon dating wouldn't be that much different from what they usually did. They've been dating for a lot longer than they've known. Don't worry. I'll give you a heads up so you can stock up on tissue boxes. I hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Akirsch-senpai: I know right, I'm so excited! Thank you for all your kind words. And I hope Kurapika's realization was to your liking. I had some trouble with it, but in the end, I thought this was the best way to go. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! Hope you liked this chapter.**

 **Sweets dreamer: I'm glad you found it cute. Jacques is an OC and that's all I'm saying for now. Pervy Spider Head will come back in later chapters. Don't worry, we haven't seen the last of him yet. Papa Leo is just a worrywart. Of course, Kurapika and Gon can take care of themselves. Neon can too. We just don't know it yet. Indeed, one can never be too cautious around Hisoka. As for the Menchi request, do you really wish to see her students suffer so much? Good, because I do too. : ) Thanks for reviewing. Hope you liked this chapters.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter and Kurapika's eureka moment. Now, if you would be so kind as to write something in that review box and put it out into the world, that would be much appreciated. Again, my name is Chocoholic221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	24. The Second Step

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

 **A/N: Alright, so I shall officially dub our favorite Kurta Kurapika Hokulani Kurta. So, Hokulani is the name her parents passed down. Kurta is the official clan name that everybody gets. Also, don't go drinking. Drinking is bad. It's just that drunk!Kurapika is fun to write.**

 **Chapter 24: The Second Step: Maintain Distance**

Her light was still on, and he planned on scolding her for staying up too late again. Unfortunately, he didn't get to tell her off.

The bodyguard chuckled at the sight. Kurapika had fallen asleep while reading. Her head slightly tipped forward, her eyes closed, a surprisingly peaceful expression on her face, and a coverless blue book in her hands. He walked over to the bedside.

"No nightmares tonight, hmm, Pika-chan," the man whispered as he pried the book away from her fingers. He lifted her up and maneuvered a bit until she was lying down in bed, and in the dim light, the object of the woman's unwanted affections noticed something quite worrying.

He raised his hand to caress her cheek, and his thumb ran along the length of the small scar.

"I really can't leave you alone, can I?"

She shifted, and for a second, he thought she might be waking up. But then, she just nuzzled into his hand and made a low sound of approval in her throat.

"Chrollo," she murmured in her sleep with a fondness he'd never heard from her before. Not when it was directed at him. "Kill. Bad."

He bit back a laugh. Nevermind, she was the same.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily, Pika-chan."

No answer. He frowned, taking in the small scar on her cheek once more. The slight bruise under her eye.

"Seems there will have to be a change in plans."

. . .

Kurapika awoke to the sound of shuffling feet. She, of course, jolted into a sitting position, expecting to see some evil demon or one of those freaky zombie people. Instead, she saw an assortment of people carrying a bed and boxes of various sizes.

"What the . . ." she trailed off as she tried to put the puzzle together.

"Hi, Pika-chan!" a cheerful voice greeted. The girl whipped her head to see Chrollo Lucilfer standing beside her watching the workers set down the boxes.

Wait. Bed. Boxes. People with tacky hats.

No.

"Finally caught on, did you?" he chuckled. "I'm moving in! Netero's orders."

She groaned and pulled the covers over her head. For a moment, the girl contemplated falling asleep again. This world was clearly conspiring against her. Perhaps, her dream world would be more accommodating. Then, she remembered the dreams she's been having. Nevermind, it seemed both worlds were out to get her.

She felt a warm hand on her shoulder. The butterflies in her stomach started making a riot again. No. Butterflies are a symptom of romantic attraction. This could not be allowed to continue.

There. Cognitive therapy was truly the best way to fight such inconvenient emotions.

"It's only temporary," he started. "Don't worry. As soon as we find this puppeteer, I'll be out of your hair for good."

That much was true. Perhaps, he could take the feelings with him?

She turned to face him. Running away really wasn't her thing. Especially when it came to such trivial things.

"Did you have to do this so early in the morning," she asked.

"I don't like procrastinating."

"Are you sure you're human?" she asked, honestly curious.

Chrollo held back a laugh, which she could clearly see from the way his lips curved and eyes shone. "Not really."

Why did it sound like he wasn't joking?

She sat up and heaved an exasperated sigh. Great, now she wasn't even sure they were of the same species. Why'd she have to go and get attracted to _him_ of all people? Wouldn't it have made more sense to fall for, y'know, someone who was actually her age and wasn't potentially a demon spawn?

Oh no, because Kurapika Hokulani Kurta couldn't possibly have chosen a normal person to develop feelings for. Or, even better, not have developed feelings for anyone at all and focused on her revenge like the good justice-seeking avenger she was.

"You look like you're about murder someone. Which I would strongly advise you against since you're not a hunter yet and could easily be put in jail," Chrollo voiced. "Plus, you don't have your contacts in yet."

At that, Kurapika covered her eyes with one hand, as was her habit whenever someone said anything pertaining to them.

"Alright, fine, make yourself at home," she finally snapped, getting up from the bed.

This was simply a small setback, she reassured herself. She could still fight: Fight these emotions and their implications.

. . .

"Kurapika?" Leorio asked, as the woman sat down at the dining table wordlessly. "You okay?"

She breathed in and then gave him a reassuring grin. "I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

"Which is why I keep telling you to not go to bed so late," another voice commented. Chrollo took the seat beside her, a cup of coffee in his hands.

Leorio watched the two with uncertainty. His eyes narrowed when he saw the blonde stiffen at the man's proximity. What happened between those two? He would have to interrogate Kurapika later.

"So, what are we going to do for this weekend?" Leorio asked, quickly changing the subject.

"I'm not sure. What do you want to do?"

"Let's go drinking! I heard there's a good place down in the town-"

"No!" Kurapika snapped. "We are never doing that again."

"Again?" Chrollo asked, amusedly.

"Don't ask," she muttered.

"Oh, it's hilarious," Leorio informed, patting himself on the back for distracting the Kurta. Time to throw in a dash of embarrassing stories. So, he started to recount the story of Kurapika's first encounter with alcohol.

 **~ Kurapika's Eighteenth Birthday ~**

 _Leorio whistled, "eighteen years old. Man, you're getting old, Kurapika."_

 _"You're older than me, Leorio," the girl replied, facing away as she folded the laundry. Leorio used to do it, but the young Kurta had deemed his skills unsatisfactory and has since taken over laundry duty. She was rather picky about such things._

 _"Yeah, but you actually act old. That's completely different. I'm forever young at heart. Your soul's already got wrinkles," he explained, matter-of-factly, feeling quite pleased with himself when he saw a small smile grace the girl's face. She really was too serious sometimes. It scared the doctor in him. At this point, she would find her heart failing her._

 _Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. A brilliant, dazzling idea fit for a brilliant, dazzling doctor like him._

 _"Hey, Kurapika," he started, a sneaky smirk forming on his face. The blonde gave him a pointed look, the kind that told him that whatever he was planning he should stop because it was a horrible plan. He dug his heels, not about to give in. After all, Leorio was the older one here. "What say you to a drinking party?"_

 _"I think it's an idiotic notion," she answered, picking up a neon green shirt. He'd bought that one just to annoy her. The Kurta absolutely despised bright colored clothing._

 _"C'mon, you're eighteen now," he prodded, grabbing her shoulders and directing her out the door as he pried the green shirt out of her hands. "Enjoy your new set of privileges. Like voting, entering legally-binding contracts, buying or selling property, marrying people without permission, suing or being sued in your own name, making wills, and DRINKING! C'mon, Kurapika. You need to relax."_

 _"I am perfectly relaxed!" she defended._

 _"You almost destroyed an entire apartment complex last week," the man countered as he covered her shoulders with a black jacket._

 _"Hey!" she rebuked. "That spider had it coming! It was staring at me."_

 _"It was lying on the window of a room on the seventh floor, Kurapika. I don't know how you even noticed it."_

 _"Because," and so Kurapika started on her tirade about how spiders were the spawns of the devil and all deserved to be exterminated. Leorio hoped Kurapika wouldn't turn out to be an angry drunk. Sober Kurapika was angry enough as it was._

 _Thankfully, her rant distracted her long enough for Leorio to lead her to the small pub._

 _"Two pints, Georgie!" he called to the muscular, young bartender._

 _"Comin; up, Leo," he answered in kind, a wide grin on his face as he pulled out two glasses._

 _"How often do you come here?" Kurapika asked, arms crossed and a disapproving frown on her face._

 _"Not as often as you think," Leorio reassured. "Georgie and I go way back. We used to work at the same clinic."_

 _Kurapika raised a single, unbelieving eyebrow._

 _. . ._

 _Leorio wasn't sure if he regretted this, or wished he could document every moment. Maybe both?_

 _One thing was for sure: Kurapika wasn't a lightweight, but when she finally crossed that threshold into drunkard land, she got really drunk._

 _"Look, the ground is moving!" Kurapika giggled as she swayed around a bit on his shoulder. "Whee!"_

 _"A happy drunk," he pondered. "Who woulda thought?" Then his voice grew a bit louder. "Don't you dare throw up on my back, y'hear?"_

 _Leorio, of course, wasn't drunk in the slightest. He knew better than to leave a first-timer without supervision. Especially a pretty girl like Kurapika. Though, he really had no reason to worry. Drunk Kurapika was just like sober Kurapika when it came to people hitting on her, though she was a bit less subtle. Eleven men and three women had tried to join her through the course of the night. All of them ended up unconscious with an angry Kurta towering over them._

" _Hey, Leorio?" she asked. "Wanna take over the world with me?"_

 _"The world?" he asked. Kurapika hated being a leader. Perhaps, drunk Kurapika thought differently. "Why the world?"_

 _"Well, I just assumed," Kurapika hiccuped. The older man set her down in her bed, which slightly creaked under her weight. He then pulled the blanket over her. "That I'd have to take over the world if I wanted to kill all the spiders in it. Y'know, otherwise they could just move to another country. I'd have to take over the Dark Continent too. I know it's dangerous, but I'm sure if Leorio is with me I'll be fine."_

 _Aw, she did care. Leorio's heart soared._

 _"Because then I'll know that there's someone there to distract all the monsters."_

 _And then his heart plummeted back into place. She wanted to use him as bait._

 _Now a bit irked, Leorio started to get up, but he was suddenly yanked back by a certain blonde. He looked at her, trying to figure out what she needed._

 _"Stay," she commanded. "This is important information that will not be repeated later on." The Kurta gazed up at him with bright, determined eyes, looking quite like a child. Oh, how he wished he had a camera in that moment._

 _. . ._

"And then she went on this rant about how she was gonna take over the world country by country, starting with United States of Saherta." Leorio had tears of laughter streaming down his face at this point. "It was hilarious. Oh man, my sides hurt." He burst into boisterous cackling again, ignoring the annoyed, red-faced Kurapika. Chrollo chuckled a bit as well, though he did it in a much more refined manner.

"Seems like you had fun," he said, a bit pensively, tossing a glance at the blonde. "Though it might not be a very good idea at the moment. You need to keep your senses sharp."

"Precisely," Kurapika agreed, rather eager to jump on that train of reasoning. "We wouldn't want to suddenly be caught off guard and killed, now, would we?"

Leorio pouted. "Suppose not."

. . .

Eventually, they decided on a movie night, because the new D Hunter was coming out and Kurapika was a super nerd when it came to anything D Hunter.

They all ended up falling asleep towards the end. Except for Chrollo, who wasn't quite so easy going. The man hadn't watched. He didn't really have the time, considering that the Troupe's next heist was coming up.

The Spider Head gazed at his Kurta for a few seconds, before bending down and picking her up in his arms. He couldn't just leave her there. She'd wake up with a painful throbbing in her neck and lash out on him. Then, he'd have a headache for the rest of the day and he wouldn't be able to focus on anything other than the jarring pain.

And perhaps holding her was a welcome plus.

The young woman shifted a bit in his arms and hid half her face in his jacket, and he tightened his grip in response.

His Kurta was truly troublesome at times. Maybe that was part of her appeal.

. . .

"Again?" Kurapika muttered as she found herself in her bed once more. The blonde knew she hadn't fallen asleep here the night before. The man had carried her there . . . again. It seemed that was part of his job description now.

"Finally awake?"

The woman turned her head to face her bodyguard, already dressed up in a suit and holding a book in his hands. She vaguely wondered if he went to sleep wearing a suit as well. The bandage on his head was there as well, and she resisted the urge to ask what was under it, knowing the question would be met with vague answers and silence.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"It's almost noon," he answered. "Netero just sent a message for the four of you to come to his office."

That caught her attention. What could that man be planning?

. . .

"Training?" They all said in unison.

Netero nodded cheerfully, "yup. You four will be taught the art of nen."

"Nen?"

"What's that?"

Netero smiled at the two younger students. "You'll find out soon enough. Killua, Gon, your teachers will be Biscuit and Wing." He gestured to the pair sitting at a small coffee table and discussing what looked like a lesson plan. "Kurapika, Leorio, you'll be taught by Izunavi and Chrollo."

Kurapika's lips formed a thin line of disapproval. She couldn't catch a break, could she? The man was simply a constant in her life. Maybe she'd get sick of him eventually?

~..~

 **Next on NAPP!:**

 **Training Begins. Brace yourselves.**

 **(A/N: New headcanon: Chrollo is the Hak of the NAPP Universe. BTW, I'm finally back from vacation, so I can finally focus a little more on this story, and, y'know, make it a little more readable.)**

 **Question of the Day: Whose training do you wanna see first?**

 **~Replies to Reviewers~**

 **Leaunicorn123: I loved your fanart. So glad this inspires you to make your own stuff. I hope you keep enjoying this story! And keep drawing. : )**

 **Akirsch-Senpai: I'm glad I was able to make your day a little brighter. I hope you like this chapter, even though I kind of rushed through it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Sweets dreamer: You finally got an account! Welcome to the Fanfiction family. Don't worry, next chapters will be very Chrollo-filled. He's gonna be teaching Leopika. Well, mostly Kurapika. There'll be some exciting development next chapter. And patience is a virtue, my dear. Though, I'm glad you feel so much suspense. It's totally what I'm going for. Hope you liked this chapter.**

 **Shishi: Awww, thank you so much. I'm blushing. Good Fem!Kura fics are pretty hard to find. I just wanted to make her as realistic as possible. Plus, it's important to me to find the characters IC in fanfiction. It annoys me otherwise. Anyway, I'm glad you're liking it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Tigerhiddeninshadows: Glad you liked it so much. I hope you found this chapter to your liking. And that Killua thing was totally intentional. I wanted to show off their personal fighting styles.**

 **Ahsilaa: Welcome to the NAPP family! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much. The fluff is real.**

 **Anna-chan: That's what I'm going for. Because at the end of the day, Hunter x Hunter has great humor and we all need more of it. Glad you liked KilluGon and Fem!Gon. Hope you liked this chapter.**

 **~End of Replies~**

 **To Everyone: Hi NAPPers! So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It wasn't my best work because I kept getting distracted by other things in my life. Overall, though, I'm happy with it. Now, if you would be so kind as to leave a review, that would be much appreciated and much loved by your hard-working authoress. Remember, I do this for free ; )**


	25. Training Time

**Disclaimer: You know what? I don't even want the rights anymore! They can keep them! Y'know, as long as they keep handing out awesome chapters.**

 **(A/N: Important announcement time, guys! We're almost at 80 reviews now! I'm so happy! We'll be there soon! I believe in us, NAPPers!)**

 **Chapter 25: Training Time**

Scarlet eyes held onto obsidian as Kurapika's hand tightened around the bandage she'd removed only seconds before. Her breathing still heavy from the chase, his hardly as labored. She was frozen for a while, straddling his waist, pinning him down to the forest floor. The man sat up, but she didn't move. He said her name, but her eyes stayed fixed on his forehead. Her hand finally reached up to brush the dark hair away, so she could take a closer look at it.

At the cross on his forehead.

~A Few Hours ago~

"You want me to chase you?" she asked, a bit indignantly. Kurapika wasn't one to chase . . . anything, never mind a man.

"It's part of your training," he explained. "If you can catch up to me, then that means you're ready for the next part of your training."

"And Leorio doesn't have to do this because?" she drawled. He'd better have a reasonable explanation as to why she was the only one getting picked on.

"Because Leorio chose to go the long route, whereas your nen has already been awakened."

Kurapika bit her lip in frustration. This truly was indecent, but if it could help her get stronger . . . "Alright."

And he suddenly disappeared.

Kurapika put a hand on her hip, and muttered,"that is not playing fair." But the Phantom Troupe wouldn't be playing fair, so perhaps it made sense that he wouldn't.

. . .

Hours later the Kurta was still chasing the man and was getting more frustrated by the minute. She'd gotten surprisingly close a few times, but he always slipped out of her reach. It made her think he might be doing that on purpose.

 _I just need to get the stupid bandage._

"Hey, Kurapika!" a voice called. The girl looked in the direction came up. Gon was perched on one of the branches and smiling like a lunatic. "Watcha doin'?"

"Oh, Gon," Kurapika greeted, coming to a stop. She could allow herself a few seconds of rest. "I'm trying to find Chrollo. What about you?" The other girl was covered in dirt and leaves and something that looked like mud or clay.

"I'm doing camouflage," she answered, excitedly. "Killua and I are playing a game."

"Oh?" Kurapika considered telling her that not many things in the forest were green and covered in leaves in the middle of winter.

Gon nodded fervently. "Any luck catching Chrollo?"

"No," Kurapika admitted. "He's good at hiding. I've been at it for a few hours now with no luck."

"You don't suppose he left?" Gon said, a little nervously.

"We'll find out soon enough. If he did, I'll show him the wrath of a Kurta."

"What's a Kurta?"

"I'm a . . ." she trailed off. Had she still not told Gon about her origins. It had completely slipped her mind. "Ah, I'll tell you when we get back, okay?"

"Okay," Gon agreed, then she looked over Kurapika's shoulder at something in the distance. "I think he went that way." She pointed to the seemingly undisturbed trees behind the blonde.

"How do you know?" Kurapika asked. She saw no signs of someone passing through there.

"Just a gut feeling," Gon answered, smiling a bit sheepishly. And then she fell. On her face.

"Found you," Killua said, smugly, taking her place on the bridge.

"Hey, no fair!" Gon yelled, waving her arms in the air in frustration. "I was talking to Kurapika."

"You really shouldn't let your guard down," Killua lectured, ignoring her complaints. "It may be true that we're only training, but you should treat it like the real thing. If someone attacked you, you'd be dead."

Kurapika watched the two argue for a bit, and then a smile grew on her face and she chuckled a bit. Then, the blonde shook her head and followed the path Gon pointed out. Those two were so caught up in each other, they probably already forgot she was even there.

. . .

He'd slowed down a bit. She wasn't sure if he was tired, bored, or playing with her. Either way, she was gaining on him.

It wasn't enough, though. And the sun was setting. And she was hungry. Her feet were cold.

In other words, she was ready for this to be over.

So, when she saw a jutting root she found herself at a crossroads: To jump, or not to jump.

Now, Kurapika wasn't one to purposely injure herself in order to win a game, but sometimes desperate times did call for desperate measures. So a few minutes later, the blonde jumped a few centimeters too low, her foot caught on the root and she fell into the crunching snow with a soft thud and a yelp of pain. She clutched the place where she felt the most pain and waited, throwing in a curse word or two.

She didn't need to linger for too long.

"Are you alright?" Chrollo asked, kneeling down to her level.

Kurapika couldn't keep a smirk from spreading across her face. Next thing she knew, the man was pinned beneath her, and she held a bandage in her hand triumphantly. Her grin soon faded, however.

. . .

"Kurapika," Chrollo said, cautiously, not moving an inch from his sitting position. She didn't respond, though she heard him well. Her hand raised to touch the cross on his forehead. Pale, slender fingers brushed against the tattoo. A shock jolted them away. Her head reeled and her vision became blurry as something else entirely filled her mind's eye. She recognized the place. The lush green foliage and the warm light encompassing its entirety. It was the forest that surrounded the clan.

Why was she seeing this? It felt like a memory. Though, it surely wasn't hers. It didn't feel like hers. Maybe it was a dream?

No, this had to be something else. They weren't her experiences. They were Chrollo's.

The memories flashed before her eyes so quickly that she was hardly able to process them. And yet, they felt so familiar. Like the memories weren't just the man's. They were shared memories. It's just that she didn't have her half. All that was left of those were shadows.

His weren't shrouded like hers. His were clear and crisp, like they had just happened a few minutes ago. Emotions washed over her, but none felt so strong as when a little blonde girl showed up.

That little blonde girl was her.

They _had_ met before.

. . .

"Are you sure they can handle this?" Wing asked, a bit nervously. His old teacher could overestimate her students sometimes, and while Gon and Killua were both talented individuals, even they had limits.

"Of course."

"It just seems like a lot to take on in the second week of training."

"Hush, Wing," the blonde said, hands on her hips and a wide grin on her face. "Who taught you everything you know?"

"You did," he sighed.

"Precisely. We agreed. You teach them the basics, and I strengthen them up."

"I'm not really done teaching them the basics," he informed.

"Quiet," she ordered. "You're done when I say you're done. And tuck in your shirt. You look like you just woke up."

He quickly did as he was told. After all, he couldn't just not listen to his old sensei. His eyes then fixed back on the two kids digging through the frozen ground. He wasn't sure why Bisuke always made people dig holes in the ground as a training exercise. Perhaps, she had some skeletons she needed to bury. He wouldn't be surprised. Biscuit had quite a temper.

"Oi, kids! Don't you go slacking off!" Biscuit yelled at her students/slaves. "You don't rest until I say you can."

"Whatever, old hag!"

"Old hag?!"

This would be the reason for Wing's eventual hearing loss.

. . .

"You're doing well," Izunavi informed. "You have the concentration. Though, you lack the raw talent that Kurapika possesses. You make up for it by putting everything you have into trying. Kurapika has a tendency to hold back."

"Yeah, she's annoying that way," Leorio muttered. "Where are those two, anyway?"

"They'll probably be back before sundown. If you want to head back to the school, you can."

"Nah, I'll wait for her to get back."

. . .

Chrollo reached up to brush her cheek. The woman finally started, breaking out of her trance and her eyes dropping back to his.

"You're crying," he whispered, brushing away more tears. "Why?"

"Because your life is horrible, and I forgot all about you and I really shouldn't have and, oh god, Chrollo, I'm sorry!" she sobbed. Sobbed? Kurapika didn't sob? What was going on with her? Was it the emotions embedded in each of those emotions. The sadness, the joy, the hope. Were her tears a side effect of caring for this man? How troublesome. And yet, hard as she tried, she couldn't turn them off.

His arms wrapped around her. "Your memories are back."

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've understood," she said, calming down a bit as she sunk into the familiar touch. She didn't have to worry about those nagging feelings anymore. She remembered why she always felt so comfortable around this man. It wasn't attraction, it was those memories. Their memories.

"No, you wouldn't have," he answered. "Besides, it didn't matter if you remembered."

She held back the urge to punch him at that comment, tightening her grip on his jacket instead.

"Thanks for the consideration," she muttered. He hummed and buried his head in her shoulder. She ran a hand through his inky hair, soft and silky, though a bit windswept due to the chase. They stayed that way for a few long seconds before Kurapika finally decided she wasn't about to catch pneumonia because of this revelation. Chrollo seemed to have different ideas. "Chrollo. Let go."

"Don't feel like it."

"Don't be stubborn. It'll be dark soon."

"We'll find our way."

"It's cold. The snow's melting in our clothes. You don't want to get sick, do you?"

"I haven't gotten sick in fifteen years."

" . . . I keep forgetting how old you are," she muttered, as she started to wiggle her way out, but he just held on tighter. She decided to try a different approach. "Aren't you worried that I'll get sick?"

"I'll take care of you," he answered as if that made everything better. Kurapika sighed. She used to be the one who dragged out the hugs. Their positions seemed to have switched. Chrollo's grip finally loosened a few seconds later, a bit reluctantly. "But . . . that would be a lot of work."

Bless laziness.

. . .

 **NEXT TIME ON NAPP:**

 **OMG! Kurapika knows about their past and is starting to gain back her memories bit by bit. Netero's planning another celebratory party for the circle before they go on break, and we all know what that means *cough*lotsofpairingmoments*cough***

 **(A/N: Really short, because I wanted to leave it at that particular moment. I don't how well I portrayed everyone in this chapter. I'm feeling kind of rusty. Maybe I should rewatch the entire anime to refresh my memory.)**

 **Question of the Day #1: Did you like how Kurapika found out about her time with Chrollo?**

 **Question of the Day #2: Did you like the dynamic between Wing-san and Bisuke-chan?**

 **Question of the Day #3: Who's your favorite nen teacher (mine's Bisuke)?**

 **Question of the Day #4: I'm thinking of giving you all the KuroKura backstory. Just because it'll be fun. Are any of you interested?**

 **~ REPLIES TO REVIEWERS (cause I love ya guys) ~**

 **Tigershiddeninshadows: Biscuit's making KilluGon dig holes. Izunavi's helping Leorio out with his nen, because he's taking the long route. Chrollo is playing around with Kurapika. So, you know, it's going pretty well. HisoIllu are probably gonna show up next chapter because they're being creepers on their respective obsessions. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reviewing. IT MEANS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! Yeah, that much. : )**

 **Sweets Dreamer: You're welcome *cue Moana soundtrack playing nonstop in the head of the poor authoress* and thanks for reviewing. I always love how enthusiastic you sound. Makes me smile. And yeah, Chrollo's not exactly lovestruck per se, but he does just love Kurapika so much. She's his humanity, you could stay. It's the only reason he isn't an exact replica of who he is in the anime and manga. How about we have KilluGon dealing with drunk Kurapika? Leorio's out and he's the only one who's able to deal with a drunk Kurapika. Chrollo isn't there because that would just lead to a make out session and Kurapika would never be able to look him in the eye again. Kurapika's still eighteen. It's only December. They started school in September and her birthday is in April. So much has happened and we're not even past the first semester. Second semester is where it's at though. It's gonna be craaaaaaaaaaaaaazy. There's some Biscuit and Wing interaction here. Mostly Biscuit bossing Wing around, and Wing being generally worried for his poor students. Leorio works more with Izunavi, because Chrollo doesn't care much about any of the main four other than Kurapika. That'll be a central theme in coming chapters. The fact that while Chrollo does have the capacity to care, it's contained to a handful of people. You can't care too much when you grow up in Meteor City. Thanks for reviewing. Hope you liked this chapter.**

 **Akirsch-Senpai: You have all the training here. It skips around a bit, but I think that's part of the appeal. I'm so glad you liked Drunk! Kura and that story. I wasn't sure if I should put it in at first, but I decided it was too good to pass up. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks so much for reviewing! : ) : )**

 **~ End Of REPLIES ~**

 **For Everyone: Thank you for reading, my darlings. I hope you enjoyed it. Now, if you would be so kind as to write a review, that would be much appreciated. I love hearing from you guys. Anyway, my name is Chocoholic221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	26. MORE TRAINING!

**Disclaimer: Don't own HxH**

 **A/N: Guys, we've got eight reviews. Let's shoot for ninety cuz we're believers. Anyway, this chapter is just build up for chapter 27.**

 **Chapter 26: More Training**

Pail of ice cold water. Check. Towel. Check. Screaming voice. Check.

Biscuit Krueger walked into Killua Zoldyck's room with a gray bucket of water in her dainty, delicate-looking fingers. Calling his name three times was too much and Bisuke hated repeating herself. This called for desperate measures.

One. Two. Three.

"Wake up!" She dropped the pail on his face. The boy barely stirred, and Biscuit figured his family must've dumped buckets of ice water on him quite frequently. If he didn't wake up soon, she was bringing in Gon.

"What you wan', ol' hag?" he asked, groggily.

"It's time to train," she answered, hands on her hips.

"It's three in the morning." The silver-haired assassin turned away from her, falling back asleep despite being drenched in ice water. A vein popped in Biscuit's head. She finally decided to just drag him out of bed.

"Don't be lazy, brat!" the mental blonde mentor said, headlocking him in her surprisingly strong arms. "You'll never get anywhere if you're not up first thing in the morning. Early bird catches the worm, y'know."

"You're choking me," Killua wheezed, too tired to fight off her ambush.

"Oh, stop whining, you're fine," Bisuke declared as she dragged the poor boy out the door.

. . .

Killua listened to Biscuit as well as he could. Horrible as his family was they always waited until at least five a.m. to wake him up. This woman was insane.

The young silver-haired boy suddenly felt a weight on his shoulder. Gon was having a bit of trouble staying awake. Strangely enough, Biscuit didn't yell at Gon as often as she yelled at him. Such injustice. He wasn't surprised. Gon tended to make everyone go easy on her. She was just too innocent to make anyone want to hurt her.

"Understood!?" Biscuit finally yelled.

"I'm awake!" Gon suddenly exclaimed, a defensive look on her face.

"Did Wing even agree to this?" Killua asked, finally able to make those keen observations of his. "Where is he anyway?"

"Wing decided that he'll only be joining us after school."

Right. They still had school. Man, this was way more troublesome than assassin training.

. . .

Swipe. Stab. Dodge. Spin. Jab.

He grabbed her arm and her back hit the ground.

"I win," he informed as if she had to be notified of something so obvious. The blonde put one hand on his chest and pushed him away, unamused by her defeat. She then stood up and brushed herself off.

"You're not even trying," she scolded, sending him a small glare. Her remembering their time together in the Kurta Village had done little in the way of their relationship. If anything, she was even bolder with her words. Before now, there'd always been a thin veil of politeness and professionalism surrounding the young woman. This new discovery had apparently been enough to break down that veil. They were just two old friends arguing again.

"And you're trying too hard," he countered, handing her one of the short swords. "Your moves are too rigid and calculated. Sometimes, you need to let it go."

"You want me to stop thinking?" Kurapika asked, incredulously. She was a strategist. She couldn't just not overanalyze a situation. Besides, how would she be able to predict their next movements if she stopped calculating every detail?

"You have good instincts," he said, putting an encouraging hand on her shoulder. "Your mind's getting in their way. You need to relax, and you won't be able to do that if your mind's always racing."

"He's right," Izunavi suddenly concurred.

Kurapika's lips formed a thin line, and her foot started tapping the frozen forest floor at breakneck speed. Her hands formed fists, and she almost missed the small smile crawling across Chrollo's handsome face. Then, before she knew it, he lunged at her. No warning. No asking if she was ready. No, he simply attacked her, and she moved to block without thinking.

"What are you doing?" she asked, a bit annoyed.

"You don't really think a real opponent would wait for you to be ready?" Chrollo answered as he slashed at her. She soon realized that this must be what he'd wanted. She was hardly thinking about each one of her moves.

How clever.

She'd yell at him for totally playing her later.

"There," he said, looking up at her as she held her sword to his throat. "Well done."

"You're still not trying," she whispered, getting just a little closer to him to show how seriously angry she was. After all, one wouldn't want him getting the wrong idea. Kurapika didn't just let things go.

He reached up to stroke her cheek. "You don't want me to try, Pika-chan."

"My god, just get a room, you two," Leorio muttered.

"Don't be vulgar, Leorio," Kurapika berated.

"Stop getting into situations that make me think you're doing something vulgar!" he yelled back, pointing at the two of them ardently.

. . . Later that night . . .

"What are you doing?" Chrollo asked the scrambling Kurta.

"What does it look like? I'm doing pest control," the blonde replied, as she lined up the seat to the cabinet where said pest currently rested. She wasn't about to let it invade her home and live. That spider was going down.

"Did you have to make such a mess while you were at it?" He picked up a few fallen books and placed them back on the shelf.

"A necessary sacrifice when met with the existence of those creatures," she said, hatefully, eyes a glowing red.

"You really hate spiders, don't you?"

"With a burning passion."

Why did she have to be so short? Couldn't she be a six foot giant like Leorio? It really wasn't fair. Being slender and thin was all good and well when you're sneaking around, but the lack of height really got in the way sometimes.

"You're going to fall," Chrollo warned. Kurapika ignored him. It wasn't like a fall from this height would even hurt, should it even occur. She brought her gloved hand up to kill the spider, and she would have succeeded too if it hadn't scurried away at the last moment. The intensity of her Scarlet Eyes skyrocketed. The angry Kurta twisted around to catch sight of the demon spawn. She glowered at it and, for a second, considered jumping after it. She relented though, and finally got off the chair. Then, she stormed out of the room and walked to the broom cupboard. That spider asked for it.

"What's with you?" Biscuit asked, looking at her like _she_ was the crazy one. Kurapika simply sent her a red-eyed glare before heading back to her room.

The Kurta lifted the broom and started shaking it frantically. The spider fell and she proceeded to beat it to death. It was all rather disturbing, especially when you take into account her bright red eyes and the small, crazed smile on her face.

She finally let out a relieved sigh. "I feel better now."

The now much happier Kurapika turned around to see three pairs of shocked eyes. Biscuit, Killua, and Gon stared at her like they were considering calling a psychologist. The actual psychologist had a blank, stoic look on his face but something told her he was amused by her outburst. Leorio showed up a few seconds later with an expectant look on his face.

"Spider?" he asked, giving her a bored look.

"Yep," she replied as she wiped the floor clean of its filthy corpse. The calm blonde then reached under her bed and pulled out a box of cleaning supplies.

"We should really keep Kurapika away from spiders," Gon whispered to Killua. Her best friend could only nod in affirmation.

A smooth cackle suddenly filled the room, and the occupants of the room felt chills crawl up their necks. They turned to see Hisoka lying on Kurapika's windowsill.

"I felt that hatred all the way from my room," he commented, smiling at them - more like leering, really. "It almost got _me_ riled up. Who knows what that anger could do when the object of it really shows up."

Kurapika could almost swear his eyes focused on something behind her for a few seconds. He got out of the window and slid past her.

Mystery solved. He had been looking at Gon. The mother in her almost went after the demented, red-haired clown and him over the head with the broom, but the sane person in her said that wouldn't be a good idea.

"Hello, Gon," he purred, leaning down to stare straight into Gon's amber eyes. "I heard you've finally started training your nen. Would you like me to pitch in?"

"No!" everyone in the room - except Chrollo, because he doesn't care 'bout nobody - exclaimed, getting between the two and forming a sort of wall around Gon.

"Oh my ~" Hisoka sang, feigning a hurt expression. "It seems your friends aren't very welcoming of the idea."

The four of them glared at him. Hisoka smiled back and then turned to Chrollo.

"Danchou ~!" he said and spread his arms wide as if to hug the other man. Chrollo sidestepped the crazy magician and exited the room through the window.

"Be back in an hour, or I'll have Netero deduct the time from your wages!" Kurapika yelled after him. He'd better be back by then. She had no interest in encountering another zombie army alone while she was out training. Then again, perhaps her nen was powerful enough to handle a zombie army by now. Either way, they weren't paying the man for doing nothing.

. . .

"What's that?" Gon asked as Biscuit walked in with a red and green, glittery envelope in her hands.

"It's from President Netero," Biscuit answered as she tore open the letter daintily. Her pink eyes scanned the striped, red and green paper. Soon, a large grin spread across her face and she looked back at the dark-haired girl. "Gon? You remember that second dress I bought you?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah."

"I think it's time to bring it out again."

The girl just gave her a confused look. Biscuit thrust the letter into her face.

"What's going on?" Kurapika asked as she rummaged through the fridge. Biscuit's grin grew if that was possible, and she lunged at the blonde. Kurapika took a few steps back at the psychotic look in her eyes while Biscuit simply stepped closer and held the letter to her face.

"President Netero is throwing another party!" she said, excitedly, before her voice became low and conspiratorial. "And this time, you're running away."

Kurapika's stomach fell as the sense of dread filled her core.

. . .

"You look stressed," Chrollo noted as the two of them settled down on the ground of a small clearing.

"I'll be fine when it's over," she replied.

"What is?"

Kurapika breathed in one giant breath, knowing that this will set her off on a tirade. And she explained what had transpired in the hour that had Gon with only slight divergence from the truth.

And you know what he did?

He laughed.

Kurapika gazed at him, unamused, until he calmed down.

"Well, when is this taking place?" he finally asked. "I might be able to get you out of it. Wouldn't want you to get even more traumatized than you already are."

"A week from today," she answered, wondering how he could possibly fend off the monster that was Biscuit.

"Nevermind then," he sighed. "I'll be gone by then."

She opened her eyes suddenly before closing them once more as if nothing was wrong. "Where are you going?"

"A business trip of sorts." The man lied down on the ground beside her.

"How many jobs do you have?"

"Many."

"That's not an answer."

"It's simply not the one you're looking for. Now, focus."

She frowned but followed his instructions anyway. Thirty minutes ticked by and she thanked her Scarlet Eyes that nen could be used as a shield against unfavorable weather conditions. She relaxed a bit and felt her nen flow through her. She wasn't sure what to name the feeling of nen. She wasn't sure if it was even a feeling at all. Perhaps, this called for some more research afterward.

"Kurapika!"

The blonde broke out of her trance, looking over her shoulder to face a red-faced Gon.

"Gon, what are you doing?"

"Y-you n-need to tell me . . . about . . . Kurtas," she breathed before dropping down next to her.

"Oh, right." Kurapika never liked talking about her past, but she figured it was high time for Gon to learn about it. The Kurta still couldn't believe she'd forgotten to tell her. She just figured they all knew.

. . .

"A few months later, I found Leorio again. It was a complete coincidence, he just happened to be working in the clinic next door." Kurapika closed her eyes to reign in her emotions: her anger, her fury, her heartbreak, her regret, her guilt. After all, the attack on her clan had occurred mere months after her last test with Pairo. Perhaps, if she had waited like the village elder had asked her to. If she had waited until she really was ready, this wouldn't have happened. Her clan wouldn't have been annihilated, and she'd still be living peacefully with her family and friends. Maybe, Chrollo would've come back after those five years, and they could've been reunited in a situation where one of them hadn't completely forgotten about the other. Instead, she was on a quest to crush one of the most notorious gangs in the world.

Her eyes opened, her heart heavy. She turned to face Gon once more and was surprised to find the girl staring at her with a determined look in her eyes.

"I'll help you," she said, taking both of her hands in her own.

"Thank you," Kurapika smiled gratefully, but her smile soon faded, "but I'll have to decline. They aren't the type of people anyone should get involved with."

"What about you?"

"It's different."

Gon pouted. "It is not! You're doing it for revenge, and I'm doing it for friendship! Neither of those are good reasons, but at least mine is something worth fighting for!"

Under normal circumstances, Kurapika would've gotten angry and defensive at such an insult, but this was Gon and Gon couldn't make anything sound like an insult.

"Still no."

"I wasn't asking for permission," Gon said, turning her nose up at her answer indignantly.

"You learned that from Killua, didn't you?"

"Is it working?"

"No."

Gon pouted again, eyes fixed on her hands, now clutching the fabric of her green coat. She then looked back up and sprung into the other girl's arms. Kurapika's eyes widened for a second before she finally responded to the hug.

"Just don't die, 'kay?" Gon asked, a bit tearfully. "I'd be sad. Killua'd be sad. I don't even know what Leorio would be, but he'd probably be the worst. So don't die, 'kay. Even if you don't care about you living, we do, so you better live, 'kay?"

"Okay."

 _I'm sorry, Gon, but . . . I can't promise you anything._

. . .

"Tell me, Danchou," the clown asked, as the younger man continued reading the plain-looking book in his palm. "If it came down to it, who would you choose: The little Kurta girl or the Spider?"

The man raised an elegant eyebrow. "What brought on such a question?"

"It's quite simple, really," Hisoka smiled, placing another card tower on his house of cards. "At this point, it's unavoidable. The Kurta's getting stronger, and soon she and the troupe will go head to head. So, I'm curious: The Kurta or the Spider?"

"The Spider, of course," Chrollo answered, not a hint of hesitation in his voice. "You're mistaken, however. She won't go through with it."

"You don't actually believe that though ~" Hisoka sang as he tipped the house down again.

"I must agree with Hisoka on this one," another emotionless voice joined in. Illumi spun a needle on his fingers as he watched the two, calculating the situation as per usual. "She'll go through with it. I know obsession when I see it. Of course, whether or not she wins is debatable. She has potential, but is she strong enough to take on a member?"

Hisoka pondered the question, "Hmm. With a few more years of training, I suppose. Unless, of course, she decided to take up some sort of restrictions. In which case, a few months may be all it takes. Hey, Danchou, d'you mind if I play with her afterward?"

Chrollo's book slammed close, his cold demeanor shaken for the first time since they'd arrived. "Hisoka," he said, voice dangerously low as he addressed the man. "Harm a hair on that girl, and you can forget about our fight."

"You're in trouble," Illumi informed his companion.

"Isn't it wonderful?"

The threat still hung in the air, though it was never spoken. Death sentences weren't particularly hard to sense, especially when they came from a killer like Chrollo.

 _Touch her and I kill you._

. . . One Week Later . . .

Black eyes peered out at her, a slight glare piercing through them. Full, pink lips pulled down in a scowl. The woman's pale skin complimented her slightly wavy blonde hair. That heart shaped face didn't suit the intensity of that stare, or the challenging posture she'd adopted. The light blue dress hugged her figure, accentuating contours she never even knew existed. All in all, the woman in the mirror was exceptionally beautiful.

Kurapika gave her reflection one more glare. She didn't like this. Not one bit. The dress was thoroughly too showy. The heels were uncomfortable. And what was wrong with her hair anyway.

She knew she could pull off this sort of look. People made it abundantly clear that she was beautiful. Which she'd learned was as much of a curse as it was a gift. Thankfully, her disposition was usually enough to scare everyone away. Not so in this place. Ever since she'd lead the planning committee, her popularity had skyrocketed among both men and women. They just wouldn't leave her alone! And they just kept coming! It was like a zombie apocalypse. Heck, she'd take the zombies over them. At least, she'd know how to deal with them. She wasn't really sure how to react to such unbridled affection.

Which was why she was dreading this night even more than usual.

She glared at the other bed in her room. Her roommate had disappeared sometime last night, not even bothering to leave her a note or anything. Not that she thought he would. Nor did she want him to. Besides, she had known he would be pulling a disappearing act sometime that week. That didn't change the fact that his absence meant that she had only Leorio to keep her company, and he'd probably get distracted soon enough.

"You truly have the worst timing," she muttered. "And no, I most certainly am not talking to myself."

"Kurapika!"

"Coming!"

Bring on the pain.

 **~ NEXT ON NAPP ~**

 **Love is in the air. Kurapika ponders how much money Netero spends on these 'insipid celebrations'. Gon and Killua are cute, as usual. Leorio eventually ends up in Neon's arms, though Neon really would rather be in Kurapika's. Oh yes, and Kurapika gets a surprise.**

 **(A/N: Before I get yelled at for making Kurapika sound full of herself. You have to admit, Kurapika is rather self-aware, and if he was an attractive woman, he'd know it.)**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Akirsh-Senpai: I'm so happy that you're happy! Yeah, I'm on a writing spree before the school year starts up again in September. #Biscuitforpresident. Making the world a better place one grueling training montage at a time. I'm glad you'd be up for the KuroKura backstory. Thanks for reviewing. Hope you liked this chapter!**

 **Tigerhiddeninshadows: *Beaming smile back* I'm glad you found it cute! Yeah, Biscuit would totally be bossing Wing around, forgetting that he was no longer her student.**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Hullo. Yays, I fooled ya. Don't worry, Pika-chan doesn't mind that much. And I imagine that Chrollo's sort of lazy when it comes to normal things. Yeah, Biscuit and Wing have a good cop/bad cop thing going on where Wing just wants her to calm down and Biscuit doesn't care that he wants her to calm down. I'm glad this chapter made you happy, and I hope this one does as well. Though, I believe the next one will be quite enjoyable for you for certain reasons. And I'm sure we would be good friends. Any Disney fan is a friend of mine : ) Thanks for reviewing.**

 **. . .**

 **TO EVERYONE: I hope you liked it. If you would be nice enough to review that would be great. It's midnight, okay? I'm tired. Not enough energy to put fancy words into my outro. Anyway, my name is Chocoholic221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	27. Moonlit Kisses

**Disclaimer: I don't own H x H.**

 **A/N: You guys ready for this? Cuz I am. Heehee. Many of you have been waiting for this. At least, I hope you have, otherwise I've failed in the romance writing department.**

 **Chapter 27: Moonlit Kisses : )**

Killua and Gon were enjoying eating too many of the refreshments Netero had provided, because dancing wasn't really their thing anymore. Been there, done that.

"Excuse me," a waiter interrupted, looking a little nervous to speak to them. "You're eating all of our snacks."

The couple just looked at him, one with a wide-eyed innocence, the other with something that looked like a cross between a glare of annoyance and boredom.

"I thought we could eat as much as we wanted," Killua said, looking pointedly at the very sign that gave them permission to gobble up as much food as they wanted.

"Well, we didn't expect two people to eat them all," the waiter replied, a bit of exasperation creeping into his voice.

Killua stared at him, and stared, and stared until he finally looked away, closing his eyes. "Che, let's go."

"Oh, okay."

. . .

Biscuit smiled to herself as she watched - stalked - over her students. Gon and Killua were playing some sort of game, and from what she could see, Killua was winning. Leorio was talking with a distracted Neon on the dance floor. And Kurapika, the poor girl, had been dragged into yet another dance. Her partner was rather cute, but the blonde didn't seem to care. She stared up at him with a small, polite smile and a look in her eyes that screamed WASTED TIME! The girl really needed to calm down.

"This really is quite fun," Biscuit said, cheerily, swirling the wine in her glass a bit before taking a sip.

"Isn't it?" an old, crow-y voice said.

"President Netero," Biscuit acknowledged, a bit surprised.

"Young people are so lively, no?" Netero asked.

"They're interesting. Though, sometimes they can be quite annoying," Biscuit commented.

"I suppose some of them. You got the good ones, though. They're fun to watch."

Biscuit nodded in agreement, "They have a lot of potential. Not to mention, all their quirks make them interesting. Whenever you think they're either going to go left or right, they find a way that you didn't even know existed."

Netero chuckled, "In other words, they punch a hole in the wall. My, my, Bisuke-chan, you almost sound like you're getting attached to them."

"Nothing of the sort," Biscuit insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. "I just find them interesting, that's all."

. . .

As soon as Kurapika saw that her teacher was satisfactorily distracted, her plan commenced. She carefully disappeared into one of the dark, empty corridors outside the main dance floors. The woman let go of the breath she had been holding and plopped down on one of the velvet-covered benches. She then bent down to take off the god forsaken heels. Really, who had thought of such impractical footwear? Shoes were supposed to be comfortable, so if someone tried to kill you then you could run away easily. As skilled as Kurapika was, even she couldn't run in those things.

The girl leaned back against the cold wall and massaged her poor feet a bit. Eyes adjusting to the darkness as she evaluated how much went into the golden vases and the flowers they boasted. At least two million jenny for each vase. And those flowers. That variant of the family Liliaceae was extremely rare. And, as with all rare things, it was also exceedingly expensive. Just as she was beginning to relax and start adding together exactly how much money must have gone into buying all those decorations and dance preparations, she felt someone coming towards her. Their aura wasn't particularly welcoming either, so the young Kurta did the first thing that came to mind. She pulled out the knife she had hidden under her dress and approached her possible attacker as well. But then the aura was gone, and do was the slight outline of the person.

She swirled around, knife still in hand when she realized they were now behind her. Unfortunately, or perhaps, fortunately, the other person grabbed her arm before she managed to lethally injure anyone.

"Nice to see you too."

And the knife fell from her hand.

. . .

"Chrollo!" Kurapika exclaimed, looking rather annoyed. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Oh? How would you like me to sneak up on you, then?"

"I'd prefer you didn't at all," the woman replied, crossing her arms. The man just smiled down at her. Then she saw something appear in one of his hands. A book?

"I hope you don't mind but . . ." and suddenly she saw black.

Only for a few seconds, but once the fog cleared she could tell they weren't in the school anymore.

"Where?" Teleportation. Was it his nen ability? What category would he be placed in then? An emitter, probably. Unless that book was conjured, in which case who knew how he managed this.

"As far away from the ballroom as we possibly could be without leaving school grounds."

They were on a balcony, blanketed in night and somehow glowing with life. A cloudless sky peered down at them. The stars watched vigilantly. A cold winter breeze shook the trees and tossed around the blonde's hair. Kurapika shivered a bit.

"You didn't really think I'd leave without saying anything?" Chrollo teased, stooping to her eye level.

"Of course, I did. You have no obligation to tell me these things," she answered, turning away. Not because she was blushing! Certainly not! She just wanted to take in that beautiful snow tipped view again.

"Always so professional," Chrollo chided. "Here I thought, we were making some progress?"

"Progress?" she scoffed, her eyes falling back on the man.

"Indeed, but if you would prefer I just left, then I'll be off." He turned to leave.

Now, Kurapika was a smart young woman and she could tell that Chrollo wasn't being serious. This was all just a trap. That knowledge didn't stop her from reaching out and grabbing his arm.

"That's not what I meant," she said, tightening her grip and tugging him back. He conceded, a small, smug smirk playing on his lips.

"So," Chrollo asked, leaning back against the railing, "have you thought about your Hatsu?"

"I thought I wasn't ready for that part, yet?"

"You're not," Chrollo agreed, "but it's never too early to start thinking about it."

Kurapika's lips formed a thin line as she considered his question. What did she want out of her Hatsu?

"Something that gives me enough strength to fight on my own," she suddenly answered, as if in a trance. "So, I don't have to drag anyone down with me."

He gave her one unreadable expression, before looking up at the sky. "Sounds lonely."

"They say justice often is."

"Still on that?" he asked, and Kurapika bristled.

"Of course, I am," she replied, hands forming fists. She'd had it up to here with people criticizing her path!

"What a waste."

"Excuse me?"

Black eyes struck her soul. "A waste, Kurapika," he repeated, though he undoubtedly knew that her hearing hadn't failed her yet. "You have nothing to gain from going through with it."

She didn't like this conversation. It would be simple to just break it off. She kept going.

"I beg to differ," she said, voice frighteningly calm. She wasn't looking at him, her eyes firmly fixed on something far away. "There is nothing to gain from moving on."

That was right. If she forgot her pain. If she forgot her revenge. There would be nothing left of her. She feared that more than anything. More than death. More than life. She wanted to hate them. She needed to. It was the only thing keeping her alive.

"If that's all you dragged me out here for then I'll be leaving," she announced, spinning on her heel and proceeding to walk out.

She didn't get too far.

He grabbed her arm and whirled her back around. The Kurta barely had any time to react as the man wrapped one arm around her waist, pushing her to him.

"You underestimate yourself, Kurapika," he whispered, but she'd never seen him so serious. Except, perhaps, back in the Kurta village.

"Underestimating what? I'm quite certain I have a rather accurate opinion of myself," she snapped back, wondering why the hell she hadn't pushed him away yet. His grip wasn't that strong. She could easily force her way out. So why? Why was she still in this situation? His arm around her waist, pushing her against him. Her hands on his chest trying to put at least a few centimeters of space between them. They formed fists because she already knew the answer.

He cupped her chin and his touch felt warm in the cold weather. Before she knew it, warm lips pressed against her slightly colder ones, and her brain silenced its objections. Frozen despite the fact she felt quite warm at that moment, her lips parted ever so slightly and he, being the opportunist that he clearly was, took advantage of the gap. She let out a small noise of surprise, her brain quickly processing what had happened, but it was already too late. Kurapika was already trapped.

And just because her brain was working once more, didn't mean her body would listen to it. She sunk into his arms, and he tightened his grip, the message in that action quite clear. She was responding to it. Kissing him back like it was the most natural thing to do in this type of situation. Was she going insane? She had no time for romance. All it would serve to do was hurt when she'd eventually have to leave everything behind.

She broke it off, regaining her senses.

"Chrollo . . ." He cut her off by reclaiming her lips. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her back hit the railing. He let her catch her breath for a few seconds before he closed the gap once more.

She'd thought she'd taken care of this. These feelings. They had simply been left over remnants of the past they shared.

As if past feelings could make you want something like this.

 _I had been naive._

. . .

"Kurapika's gone," Gon realized, after scanning the crowd.

"She ran through there," Killua answered, pointing to a door straight across from the table they were seated at."Hasn't come out since."

"You think she's alright?"

"I wouldn't come back out either. She's probably gone back already," Killua said, stuffing his face with a chocolate bar. Gon gave him an unimpressed look while resting her chin on her hand.

"How many of those have you eaten so far," she asked.

"I dunno, a lot," he answered. Killua liked his chocolate. Unfortunately, it was really hard to find good quality chocolate these days, so when he could get his hands on free tons of the stuff he was sure to take advantage of it. Too bad they didn't bring in a chocolate fountain. Killua lived for chocolate fountains.

"Too much chocolate isn't good for you, Killua," Gon scolded.

"I think I'll be fine." Electrocution, beatings, drowning, poison. Killua was pretty certain he could handle chocolate. Maybe he should make a hatsu that has something to do with chocolate. Interesting, very interesting.

"Are you kids having fun?" A chilling presence suddenly made itself known. The two friends slowly turned around to see Hisoka. Though, if it wasn't for the creepy aura, they probably wouldn't have realized it was the magician underneath that fancy suit and his makeup-less face.

"Hisoka!"

"Gon," he replied, easily, smiling down at the young girl. Killua glared at him. A suit and the lack of hair gel couldn't hide the fact that the man was a perverted clown freak.

Killua eyes darted from his best friend/girlfriend and the crazy clown. He didn't like the way Hisoka was looking at the silver-clad Gon.

"How's training?" Hisoka asked.

"Awesome!"

"None of your business."

Killua loved Gon. The only who could compete with her was Alluka. But sometimes . . . he wished she wasn't as accepting as she was.

"What do you want, Hisoka?" Killua asked before Gon had a chance to say some other unnecessary things.

"Company," Hisoka sighed, woefully, plopping down in a chair at their table. "Danchou ditched me for blondie again."

So, that was where she ran off to.

"Why don't you call up Illumi or something?" Killua asked.

"Illu's working," Hisoka pouted. "He's never there when I need him."

"You're not here just to talk though," Killua continued. If he knew anything about the crazy clown, it was that he always had a plan.

"I'm simply here to enjoy the view, and offer up some free information about Ging."

Killua accepted his defeat as soon as Hisoka uttered Ging's name. Nothing could sway Gon at this point.

"About Ging?" Gon asked, clearly curious. "You know him?"

"Not personally, no. I know more than you, however," Hisoka said. "Have you ever heard of a game called Greed Island?"

"Greed Island?" Gon repeated, and Hisoka's smirk widened. In the distance, the clock rang eleven times.

. . .

The sound of bells chiming gave Kurapika the strength to finally push him away, and this time, he didn't pull her back in.

"Do you understand now?" he whispered.

Kurapika nodded, still a bit breathless.

She was underestimating her ability to forget. Her ability to desire something more than revenge. Chrollo seemed confident he could veer her off course.

How arrogant. Leorio's been with her for how long now? What made him think that he'd be any more effective.

The last few minutes should be enough.

Well then, challenge accepted.

And the lil' blonde smiled a bit to herself. What better way to strengthen her resolve than by facing off against a person who's so intent on destroying it.

. . .

 **NEXT TIME ON NAPP:**

 **It's christmastime on Whale Island, and Gon's invited the whole gang to come over. Except for Hisoka. He finds a way there anyway. Creeper's got some info for our dearest Kurta as well.**

 **(A/N: Weird. The more opposition Kurapika seems to face, the stronger her resolve grows. Guess she's just awesome that way. And Kura loves a good challenge.)**

 **Question of the Day: Favorite part of this chapter?**

 **Question of the day #2: What d'you think Hisoka wants to tell Kurapika?**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Sweets Dreamer: I hope you liked this chapter. I know you're a KuroKura shipper, so I hope I did them justice. I actually ship Leorio and Kurapika in canon, though I find KuroKura more intriguing. The fans made me ship both. People have done some amazing things with KuroKura (1001 nights by Runandra is one of my favorites, even though their characterization of Kurapika sometimes felt OOC, but when you read the story it doesn't really matter that much because it has so many other aspects that almost make it seem like it has nothing to do with HxH). It makes me want them to interact just a little bit more in the manga. I feel like an alliance wouldn't even be that farfetched if they happen to meet up in the Dark Continent. I'm not sure if you're a manga reader though, so I won't say any more. You finally got a chain pair kiss.**

 **Shishi: I'm glad you actually found it a fitting character moment. I was kind of worried. Anyway, don't forget that Kurapika is also being trained by Izunavi. Just sayin'. Thanks. I hope it lives up to your expectations. Romance is rather hard for me to write, so I apologize in advance if it was terrible. There's just so many feelings to take into account, but you also have to take into account that not all of those feelings should be taken into account. Meh, love is confusing.**

 **Tigerhiddeninshadows: Kurapika is angry that Netty's using the money for something as trivial as a party when he could be using it to help others. She's probably seen a lot of poverty ever since she was orphaned and thrust into a much crueler world. Not to mention, Leorio grew up in a slum. She's probably against rich people spending money on luxury, no matter who that luxury may be for. Kurapika's too noble sometimes. Hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reviewing.**

 **Guest: Aw, thanks. I'm glad you like it so far. I hope you continue to. Thanks for taking the time to let me know what you think. : )**

 **~ End of replies ~**

 **To Everyone: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Now, if you would be so kind as to leave a review, that would be much appreciated. My name is Chocoholic221B (I should've picked a shorter name, seriously. It takes so long to write that out) and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	28. Of Holidays and Clowns

**Disclaimer: I don't own HxH. Togashi does. Lucky man.**

 **A/N: Help Mito eliminate food-wasters from the planet. One review at a time. C'mon we're so close to a hundred. Once we get there, we're big shots. Famous, in terms of fanfiction : ) Every little bit helps in the fight against the food-wasters.**

 **Warning: Lotsa flashbacks. BTW, Mito's 33 in this. So she was like nine in the flashback and seventeen when Gon came around. Ging's five years older.**

 **Chapter 28: Of Holidays and Clowns (I'm Sorry,** _ **Magicians**_ **)**

Mito knew Gon could sometimes attract odd people, but these guys definitely took the cake.

True, they looked normal enough, but the blonde had a scary intensity about her. The blue-eyed boy seemed normal enough at the start, but there was something off-putting about him all the same. The only one who didn't make Mito want to sleep with one eye open was the doctor.

Perhaps, she was being paranoid? After all, these were Gon's first real friends. It was normal to be a bit cautious.

"So, what are you kids all planning on doing after getting your Hunter's license?" Mito asked, politely, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"I'm gonna be a doctor," Leorio answered, simply. Mito didn't miss how the other two averted their eyes.

"I'd . . . prefer not to reveal my future aspirations," Kurapika, the intimidating blonde, replied.

"I haven't really got one," Killua replied before stuffing his face with more sea food.

"I see." Strange. Very strange. Well, they seemed to care about Gon, and that was enough for Mito. Her eyes looked down at his plate and zoomed in on some red vegetables. "You're not eating your peppers."

"Don't like 'em," he answered, simply.

Mito's eyes flashed.

The little food-waster had some nerve.

"Peppers are good for you, Killua," Mito insisted, sweetly, though it was clear that her temper was getting the best of her. She didn't care. Food-wasters weren't permitted under her roof.

"I'd rather not," the food-waster said.

"Do you have an allergy?" Mito asked, eye twitching. Killua crossed his arms.

"No."

"Then it wouldn't hurt to eat them," Mito continued, smile forced, voice strained. Her other two visitors shrunk back a bit, but she ignored them. Food-wasters had to be dealt with.

"But I don't want them."

The tense atmosphere heightened, neither side willing to back down, both ready to fight it out. Who would win?

A copper hand reached over to Killua's plate and snagged one of the peppers with her fork.

The winner was, unsurprisingly, Gon.

"Gon," Killua and Mito both whispered, the tension disappearing. A few seconds later, the doctor and intimidating blonde broke into fits of laughter. Well, the doctor did. The blonde simply chuckled a bit, but somehow, Mito felt that was a rather impressive feat all its own.

Gon remained clueless as she munched on the crispy vegetable.

A phone suddenly rang.

"Ah," Kurapika sighed, whipping out her cell phone, "pardon me. Do you mind?"

"Not at all," Mito replied, curious but understanding some things needed to take place in private. The young woman smiled slightly, excused herself and walked outside.

The redhead turned her attention back to her niece. Gon's face scrunched up in that way that told Mito that she wanted to say something.

"Hey, Aunt Mito?" Gon started. "Are you sure that Ging didn't leave anything behind."

Mito's eyes widened ever so slightly. Gon had asked that question only once before, out of obligation. What had sparked this sudden interest? Had someone . . . no, that was impossible. No one else knew about that thing.

"No. I don't believe so," she lied. A pang of guilt struck her heart. Lying had always been something she disagreed with. Something she'd always steered Gon away from, even though she really didn't need to. Gon was too straightforward for that. Mito wished she had the same frankness, but Ging . . . he wasn't someone she wanted Gon to chase after.

"Oh." Her guilt intensified at the slight nod of disappointment in Gon's face, but no, this was for the best. The girl brightened up a bit again, but the lump in Mito's throat refused to go away. "Maybe, he hid something."

"Hid something?" Mito asked, incredulously. Not because of the suggestion, but of how the act of hiding something was right up Ging's alley. Was it that obvious? That easy for Gon to figure out Ging's possible movements?

Gon nodded vigorously, gobbled up the rest of the food, and ran upstairs. Leorio decided to go back to his room and study for the big test coming up after break.

"Why'd you lie?" Killua asked, playing with the last few red vegetables Gon missed distastefully.

"Excuse me?" Mito grimaced. Not only was he a food waster but his rudeness seemed without end.

"You lied back then when you said Gon's father didn't leave her anything. Gon didn't notice because she trusts you to tell her, but I have no obligation to take everything you say as the truth. So, why'd you lie?"

Mito blinked rapidly. This kid. What was he? Were all sixteen-year-olds like this? Oh dear, now she felt old.

"How did you know?" she asked, finally.

"It was obvious. Both of you are bad at lying." The silver-haired assassin smiled fondly. Mito couldn't help but smile as well. At least, this boy cared about Gon. That girl was determined to be friends with everyone, and many could take advantage of that part of her. Killua was different. "You're worried about that she'll look at you differently, aren't you?"

Mito said nothing, but the answer was etched in her expression.

Killua smiled and got up, taking the plate with him. "Don't be. I haven't known her for very long, but she's not the type of person to hold a grudge over something so little."

And then the little silver-haired assassin made his way upstairs as well, leaving the woman alone with her thoughts. Mito sighed, knowing he had a point. If only that was all that plagued her. How old was she when Ging brought Gon to her? Around seventeen years old. The same age Ging was when he decided that he wanted to become a Hunter. Unfortunately, Ging had been pretty lazy and his enrollment was delayed three years. It took him under a year to her his Hunter's license, though. A month after Gon's mother, in fact, but Emilie was hard to beat at anything.

She missed those times. Just Ging, Emilie, and she trekking through the forest, playing games, Ging being hopeless and Emilie a ray of sunshine as usual. And then Mito, the youngest, with the fiery temper and terrible sense of direction.

. . .Flashback Time . . .

 _"Man, it's way too cold out here," Ging complained, a wide grimace on his face as the three of them followed the path back to Mito's house._

 _"You wouldn't be cold if you'd just brought a jacket with you," Mito muttered, tired of his complaining._

 _"Shut up! I'm fine!" Ging replied, walking a bit faster now. Emilie giggled a bit, wavy purple hair bouncing a bit in her ponytail. She then walked forward and stopped in front of Ging. He raised an eyebrow at her antics, but his steps halted as well. Mito watched on in curiosity. If that had been anyone else, Ging would've simply gone around them. But this was Emilie and Emilie got away with everything: Hugs, questions, general 'pestering'. It was rather amusing to see the stubborn Ging be brought down to earth by a sweetheart like her, it showed that you trapped more flies with honey than vinegar._

 _The girl took off her warm, blue scarf and wrapped it snugly around Ging's neck. "There. It's not a jacket, but it'll do!" She grinned up at him, and Mito could almost swear he turned a bit red._

" _Thanks," he whispered, but Emilie had already started walking again. Ging stared after her with a strange, warm look in his eyes. Mito smirked. So, that's how it was. Mr. High and Mighty had a crush on someone._

" _She is way out of your league," Mito taunted._

" _Shut up! You're, like, nine. What would you know?"_

. . . End of Flashback . . .

Mito smiled. That had been the night Mito realized that Ging was crushing hard on Emilie. At the time it had simply been some good teasing material. She could tell that Ging doubted Emilie would ever return his feelings. As usual, Emilie herself had different plans. She always seemed to have everything figured out.

What would she do, Mito wondered. What would Emilie, Gon's real mother, do in her situation? Well, for one thing, she wouldn't have hidden it in the first place. Had she hid it, however, then she'd have come clean and faced the consequences. She had always been brave like that.

But in the end her bravery didn't do her much good.

. . . More Flashbacks . . .

 _"Ging," Gradmother Abe said, the surprise in her voice clear. It had been eight years since Ging had stepped foot on Whale Island. He looked older, a small stubble of hair growing on his face and a turban on his head. His clothes were baggy, meant for travel. In his arms, a baby girl was fast asleep. "Oh my goodness."_

 _"Her name is Gon," Ging informed. Grandmother Abe opened her mouth to say something, but Mito bear her to it._

 _"Where's Emilie?" she asked, voice trembling. She'd never felt so scared of an answer._

 _"She's gone," Ging replied, firmly, decisively. "I need you two to do something for me."_

 _The longer he talked, the angrier Mito became. He wanted to leave Gon with them for a while. He wasn't even able to try to be a good father._

 _"Mito!" Grandmother Abe scolded, but she was too busy tending to the baby to stop her from chasing after Ging._

 _"You coward!" she screamed. Ging stopped, but he didn't turn towards her. "Just because she's gone now doesn't mean you get to be a scumbag and abandon your daughter!"_

 _"Mito," Ging started, simply. His voice quiet and gentle. "I'm not abandoning her. I just can't take her with me. So, take care of Gon while I'm gone."_

 _Excuses. That was all this was. Ging never admitted he was wrong. He always scrambled for a way to justify his actions. The bastard._

 _He threw something at her, and she caught it. A strange little box. Her eyes scanned it. It didn't seem to have an opening._

 _"It's a birthday present for Gon. Give it to her when you think she's ready." Then, he disappeared, leaving Mito with a broken heart and a million questions. One heard above all the others: What happened to Emilie?_

 _She suddenly felt tiny hand reach out and poke her face, successfully pulling her out of her stupor. Gon giggled when Mito turned to her and spread her arms wide._

 _"She wants you to hold her," Grandmother Abe chuckled, as she shifted the infant girl in her arms. Mito allowed the old woman to place Gon in her arms, and she gently tightened her grip to ensure she wouldn't fall. Gon smiled and Mito's eyes widened._

 _It was so much like Emilie's smile._

 _And in the cluster of emotions flooding Mito's heart and head, a small voice told her something she'd always known: Ging was a complete and utter idiot. Bur she wasn't. She'd take care of this little girl, and raise her as if she was her own daughter._

. . . End of Flashback . . .

She had to tell her. Trust her to make the right decision. She was almost an adult, after all. Gon could make her own decisions. And with friends like that Killua fellow, Gon would undoubtedly be steered in the right direction.

Mito smiled, confidence regained. She finally got up to place her dishes in the sink and as she started to clean them off, she was enlightened with a troubling fact.

Killua never finished eating those peppers.

So, he was still an ungrateful little food waster, but at least he was a caring little food waster.

. . .

"Hello?" Kurapika asked, holding the phone to her ear as she walked a little ways away from the house.

" _Okurinushi no zen'ya_ ," a deep voice greeted. It took Kurapika less than a second to comprehend this strange phrase, and around five to realize what day it was and what it meant. It was Giver's Eve, one of the most celebrate Kurtan holidays. How could she forget?

"Okurinushi no zen'ya, Chrollo," she said, a smile spreading across her face. "It's been a while since I spoke in Kurtan. Leorio hardly remembers anything anymore."

" _I'm not surprised. It's been five years_ ," Chrollo replied. Kurapika face fell a bit, but she was determined not to let her past rule her at least for today. It was Giver's Eve, after all. And no one was allowed to feel blue on Giver's Eve. At least, that's what her mother always said.

"Where are you now?" she asked, changing the subject.

 _"Aw, did you miss me, Pika-chan."_ Kurapika rolled her eyes, but smiled despite her annoyance. The blonde kind of missed his teasing. She should probably get that checked out. Surely, it wasn't normal to miss these sorts of things. _"I'm currently in a cafe in York Shin."_

"York Shin?" How far was this business of his taking him? York Shin was halfway across the known world.

" _I believe you've heard of it,"_ he said. She heard a crash and some screaming in the background.

"Yeah. What was that noise?"

" _Ah, that. Just some children playing. Nothing to worry about."_ More screaming erupted, this time seemingly directed at Chrollo.

"I see," she said, voice skeptical. "Will you be back before school starts up again?"

 _"Most likely."_ A wave of relief flowed through her. Romantic attraction made the body react in such strange ways. _"Has your holiday gone smoothly so far."_

"No zombie people as far as I can see," she quipped. He laughed a bit. From there, the conversation branched off into a wide variety of subjects. From politics and other smart things to a very random banter about what the best color for the curtains in their now shared room would be. They had to settle that one with a compromise. Strange things and normal things. And it stretched for a good hour and a half, because they were both craving the company of the other, even though the blonde was too stubborn to admit it.

 _"I'll see you soon,"_ he said.

"Yeah. Bye. I hope you find whatever you're looking for."

One of them hung up, and Kurapika stared at the phone for a few seconds, still smiling. The question of how he got her number temporarily forgotten.

"How cute ~" a voice cooed. Kurapika's head shot up to see a familiar clown lounging on a tree branch and gazing at a card. He then flipped it so the suit was facing her. A joker? "My personal favorite."

"I'm not surprised," Kurapika said, still wondering how he had managed to sneak up on her. Zetsu, perhaps? "What are you doing here?"

"So, Danchou gave you a late night lover's call?" Hisoka asked as he placed the joker card back in the deck and started shuffling them.

His question was met with a cold silence. He sighed in disappointment. Blondie really wasn't into idle chat. How unfortunate. They could've had fun together.

"I'm here to share some information you might be interested in. One, regarding your nen. The other, regarding your targets," Hisoka explained.

"My targets?" Kurapika repeated.

"The Spider, yes? You're trying to kill off the Phantom Troupe because they killed your entire village," he answered, tossing her a dark smirk. "A noble quest, but I'm afraid that in your current state you won't get anywhere. Except, maybe, six feet under in a wooden coffin. Or a glass one. Depends on what your friends wanna do, y'know. You should probably write your will beforehand."

"I don't care. Tell me your information," she said. Hisoka's grin widened. So, the little Kurta did have a bit of an impatient side.

"Have you heard of nen restrictions?" Hisoka asked. He took the silence as a no. "In essence, they're contracts with your nen. They can be used to strengthen your hatsu, whatever that might be. You give something, you get power in return."

"Is there a limit to what you can give up?" Kurapika asked.

"Not as far as I know of." Hisoka could already tell she'd give up anything to utterly annihilate them. She might even have the guts to stake her life on it.

"Understood," she said. "The information on the Phantom Troupe."

He raised an eyebrow. No more questions? Well, it was to be expected since she clearly didn't trust him.

"Very well. I'm one of the members," he said. As soon as the words left his mouth, the woman's aura flared and her eyes flashed red. That bloodlust. That look in her eyes. That delicious hatred. Oh dear, he had to calm down. Danchou was truly a lucky man to be the hated subject of her obsession. "But not really. I joined around three years ago." That seemed to calm her down a bit. Though, she was clearly still on edge. "York Shin is the host of many auctions. The Troupe likes to raid the mafia. I suggest we meet there after you figure your nen out and get your license. Ta-ta."

And then he disappeared, retreating back into the forest. Kurapika grimaced. That was no help at all. She shouldn't have expected anything less. What a waste of time.

But in the back of her mind, she found it odd that both Chrollo and Hisoka had spoken of the same place. York Shin City. It must be a popular place for the slightly insane.

. . .

"I'm pretty sure we're not going to find anything," Killua said, skeptically, watching as the girl stepped carefully across the floorboard, waiting for a creak.

"But there has to be something!"

"It's getting really late. We can keep searching tomorrow," he yawned. Gon pouted, looking longingly at all the possible hiding spots, but then relenting and nodding.

Killua almost sighed in relief. She'd been at this for more than two hours at least. The only reason he hadn't gone to sleep yet was because he knew she would stay up until tomorrow if someone wasn't there to drag her to bed. So troublesome.

 **~ Next On NAPP! ~**

 **Mito gives Gon the box. Weeks later, they go back to school. It's surprisingly quiet. No evil zombie people in sight. Chrollo meets up with Kurapika again. KuroKura fluff ensues. Kurapika notes that the lack of ambushes is kind of strange.**

 **(A/N: My Petersburg from Anastasia is now NAPP Chrollo's song. My Meteor City.)**

 **Question of the day #1: Did y'all like the flashbacks?**

 **Question of the day #2: Was that phone call OOC?**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Tigershiddeninshadows: You were right about the Spiders, but nah, Kurapika doesn't need anyone telling her Chrollo's the Spider Head. She's probably gonna figure it out on her own. And yes! Protective Killua is best Killua! What am I saying? Every Killua is best Killua. My homicidal baby has found his true love and he's not about to lose her. Hisoka's always bored. And he also probably it's gonna rile up Chrollo, because, y'know, having your friend/girl you've sworn to protect/girl you're in love with want to kill your best friends/family isn't exactly ideal in the first place. Knowing someone's giving her the key to actually fulfilling her one goal in life is probably gonna make him mad. Hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for the review.**

 **Siapakahaku: I'm glad you find it interesting? I'm always afraid it's going too slow, or that it's too fluffy to be interesting, but I guess that's not really a problem. Yay, another KuroKura fan. Wait for the York Shin arc. It's gonna break all our shipper hearts. Yeah, let's not forget Chrollo's a thief, so he's gonna be a little possessive of Kura. But only a little, because he respects her too much to objectify her. Thanks for taking the time to review. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Shishi: I know. Hisoka's a little trouble making pervert clown, he is. That's why we love him. Yeah, after this arc, I'm probably just gonna go along with the original story line. So, GI arc, Chimera Ant arc, Election arc (with Kurapika), DC arc. All that good stuff. Man, this will be a long series. I'll definitely finish it though. Thnx for the review, fam. Hope you liked the chapter.**

 **Sweets Dreamer: I hate keyboards too. They're the reason for most of my grammar and spelling errors. Stupid keyboards. I'm guessing the KuroKura kiss was your favorite. There's more of those to come. Bingo, bingo (Yu Yu Hakusho reference. Sorry fam, I just had to)! Spiders, it is, but that's just half the puzzle. I liked 'twisted' too. It was interesting enough. Kurapika was just as angsty as she is in the original. I'm unfortunately going to stay away from the angstiness of her character. She's too busy getting the job done. I pictured Batman lecturing Kurapika on revenge because of your comment. Thanks. It was actually pretty funny. Kurapika was trying to be set him on fire with his mind. It could be like an abridged version. I'm so glad it's inspired you to write your own fic. Don't worry, I know you won't plagiarize. As usual, thanks for reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: Hope you all enjoyed this chappie and that little insight into Mito and Ging's childhood with Gon's mom. Now, please support the fight against food wasters and leave a review if you would be so kind. As always, my name is Chocoholic221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP! Just not really. Because there's a screen between us. Y'know what. Just, review, stay healthy and make good choices. Class dismissed.**


	29. It's Quiet Too Quiet

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter.**_

 **Chapter 29: It's Quiet. Too Quiet.**

Gon stared at the strange metal box Mito had given to her a few days ago. She still couldn't get it open. It was sort of frustrating.

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts. Kurapika opened the door, assuming it was alright for her to come in. The young woman wore a loose green sweater and black pants: clothes fit for a run around the island.

"Gon," she acknowledged, sitting down next to her. "We're going to train in the forest. Wanna come?" Her eyes fell on the box, and a curious expression donned her face. "What's this?"

"My dad left it for me," Gon answered, distractedly, eyes still focused on the box with a glowing determination only Gon could possess. "But I can't get it to open."

"So, it's like a puzzle?" Kurapika asked, her eyes lit up when Gon nodded her affirmation. "That sounds fun!"

"Fun?" Gon repeated. Torturous would be a better word as far as Gon was concerned, but the dark-haired girl hardly ever saw this side of Kurapika. The side that almost looked like a child, so unlike the stern and serious woman they knew.

"Ah, sorry," Kurapika apologized, running a hand through her silky blonde hair in what most of her friends had recognized as a nervous gesture. "I get a bit excited sometimes."

Gon shook her head. "It's okay." Sure, the young Freecss had wanted to do this on her own, but Kurapika looked so excited. It wouldn't hurt to get some help. Right? "Do you mind helping me out with it?"

The look on Kurapika's face was worth whatever disappointment lay ahead. Unbridled joy was such a hard emotion to bring out of her. But then, it vanished.

"Are you sure? It's something your father left behind for _you_. I understand if you'd rather figure it out on your own." Kurapika was always so thoughtful. Gon liked that about her.

"It's okay. Two heads are better than one! I'm sure if we work together, we'll be able to figure it out!" Gon reassured, optimistically. Kurapika gave her one warm, motherly smile and a determined nod.

. . .

 _They're sure taking their time,_ Killua thought. The young silver-haired boy wasn't one to worry too much, but when it came to Gon, he worried constantly. He should probably stop doing that since Gon really didn't need his protection, but screw it, he was gonna worry if he wanted to, when he wanted, about who he wanted to!

"Hey, guys . . ." Killua trailed off before he could even finish his sentence. Gon and Kurapika were gathered around a small, metal box, talking quite avidly. Kurapika being interested! In something that doesn't involve the cold-blooded murder of the Spider, and the retrieval of the Scarlet Eyes! What parallel universe had he strolled into, and how does he get back to his?!

Eh, they looked pretty happy, so there was nothing to worry about. Killua shrugged and walked back downstairs.

"Kurapika and Gon are staying behind," he informed Leorio.

"Really? How come?"

"They're busy."

"With what?"

"Don't be so nosy, old man!"

"OLD MAN!? Oh, that is the last straw, young man!"

Upstairs, the two females of the group exchanged a curious look at the thunderous voice. They could swear it had shaken the house with the power of a mild earthquake. Maybe, Leorio's power would have something to do with his noisiness.

"That sounded like Leorio," Gon commented.

"He's probably being stupid again," Kurapika replied, putting down the box after a thorough investigation. No openings or slots, just like Gon said. "I'm assuming your father meant for you to get this once you become a Hunter, but I doubt it'd be as simple as just having your license with you. From what you said about him, your father's a bit of a trickster."

"That's what Aunt Mito said," Gon answered, not mentioning the fact that Mito didn't have the highest opinion of Ging.

Kurapika put a finger to her chin in a pondering gesture, her forehead scrunched up in thought. What else did a Hunter have that normal people didn't have other than a prestigious title, fancy card, and incredible opportunities. Her eyes widened.

 _Could it be?_

"Gon, try using your nen to open it," Kurapika suggested, successfully keeping the excitement out of her voice, but her eyes told a different story.

"Nen?" Gon recited. The girl picked up the box in her slender hands and focused on her aura, still gazing at the box with an unbreakable resolve. A few seconds later, streaks of light slipped through the cracks and grew brighter until the entire box was shrouded in a blinding light. Gon dropped it on the floor and moved back a bit. When the light died down, a different, horribly colored box had taken its place. On the floor, were scattered the remnants of the steel encasing. Kurapika picked one of them up.

"Steel bars," she murmured, inspecting them, "what a strange design."

"You're going to look it up as soon as we get back, aren't you?" Gon asked, good-naturedly. The cheerful girl was happy that she'd come to understand her friends so well. It meant that it would be easier to help them.

"Naturally," Kurapika confirmed, placing the steel bar back down. "You know me too well."

Gon giggled before turning back to the odd box. Her hands reached out and raised it to her eye level. This one had a slot.

"Do you think . . ."

Kurapika nodded. "That's probably a slot for your Hunter License. Sorry, Gon. I think you're going to have to wait a while."

Gon pouted and let herself free fall onto the ground, still holding the box close with eyes filled with impatience and curiosity.

"I wonder what's inside."

. . .

"Kite!" Gon shouted, excitedly. Her friends all lifted their heads to the sky to catch sight of this colorful flying invention their friend had apparently pointed out, only for said friend to pounce forward and launch herself at an unsuspecting, tall silver-haired man.

So, Kite was a man?

"Long time, no see, Gon," the man wheezed through the rib-crushing embrace.

"I'd say!" Gon replied, releasing him to gaze up into his face with boundless excitement. "Two whole years!"

"Has it been that long?" Kite asked. Gon nodded fervently, as she led him back to her friends. "Guess I lost track of time."

"You say that every time," Gon said, monotonously for once. She then gestured to her friends. "These are my friends, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio. Guys, this is Kite, he's my . . ."

The three proclaimed friends waited in silence as Gon pondered the question of Kite's status in her life. The girl's brain looked just about fried when she finally settled on a title.

"I guess he's just Ging's student," she said, thoughtfully, giving him a puzzled expression.

"Ging's student?" they repeated. So he had enough time to take on a student, but not to give his only daughter a phone call?

The door behind them opened and all three jumped a bit. Mito stood there, a little surprised to see another visitor on her steps.

"Kite," she said in a whispery voice.

"Hello, miss," he greeted, tipping his hat ever-so-slightly, a smirk blooming on his face. "Nice to see you again."

One could practically see Mito's switch to mother mode. She ushered him inside and ordered him to take off his drenched jacket. Then went on to make some tea. Soon, the seven of them, including Grandmother Abe, sat down around the crowded table filled with cookies and tea.

"Where were you all this time?" Gon asked, talking through a mouthful of cookies and somehow looking adorable while she's at it.

"Currently, I'm working on a mission in NGL," Kite replied. "Please swallow before talking. Ging wouldn't be very happy if he knew his only daughter was done in by suffocation."

Gon zipped her mouth and continued chewing, now with renewed vigor. Killua watched the entire exchange with mixed feelings. On one hand, Gon acting like a child around her newly returned favorite relative was adorable, but on another, Gon's attention had become completely monopolized by the man. Which meant there was no time for any quality time with her. Sometimes, he truly wondered if they had ever been together in the first place. They hadn't really done anything alone since their first date.

"How did you and Gon cross paths?" Kurapika asked, probably finding it hard to believe it was mere coincidence that brought them together.

"She wandered into Foxbear territory. I'd been looking for Ging on Whale Island, and happened to be passing by. Ended up having to save her life," Kite said, as if it had been a mere inconvenience.

"He punched me afterward."

Silence.

"What?!"

. . .

Killua decided Kite was pretty cool despite the fact he had once punched his best friend/love-of-his-life-maybe in the world. The man was pretty intimidating, but you could tell he really cared under that emotionless face. Kind of like the opposite of Chrollo. The bodyguard might have a permanent smile on his face but he clearly didn't give a shit about any of them.

"So, you're Gon's boyfriend," Kite stated, taking a seat next to the teenager with two glasses of something red in his hands. Killua took the offered glass and swirled the liquid around a bit. It didn't look like wine. What was this? Blood? Kite looked a bit like a vampire. "It's cranberry juice."

"Yeah." Killua took a sip of the scarlet beverage and made a face. It was bitter.

Kite laughed for the first time since Killua was introduced to the strange man. "Not the best tasting, but Mito insists everyone drink a cup before they go to sleep. It's supposed to be healthy."

First red peppers, now this? That woman was some sort of sadist. No wonder Gon seemed to have such strange taste in food. She was a victim of circumstance!

"I forbid it," Kite suddenly said, monotonously, all humor drained from his pale face, replaced by threatening eyes and a thin line of a mouth.

Killua took a moment to process his sudden declaration. Forbid what? He couldn't mean . . . "What?"

"Gon deserves better," Kite continued, voice and face stoic and dark. "What makes you believe you could make her happy. There will only be pain left in your wake. The sooner you leave, the better."

Cerulean eyes widened a bit, and Killua felt his heart sink because he knew everything the silver-haired man said was true. Even so . . .

"I refuse," he said simply, a sort of courage growing in him that he'd never known existed. "I agree with everything you said. I don't deserve someone like her, but I want to try. Besides, Gon believes I'm good enough, so I want to trust her."

Kite stared at him for a moment, probably dissecting his words and gestures, before a smile spread across his face and a small chuckle bubbled out of his throat. "Good answer."

Huh?" No way. Was this . . . just a test? Well, going through his entire conversation thus far it was true that the silver-haired man did a rather monotonous delivery. But that could've just been his way of terrifying people. Killua hadn't known him long enough to make an accurate assumption.

"That was Ging's idea." The casual tone of his voice returned, and Killua almost let out a breath of relief. "He wanted to test if you really wanted to be with Gon."

"Wait. Ging? He knows about Gon and me?" Killua found it hard to believe since Gon's father didn't seem too invested in his daughter's life. Still, it was possible.

"No," Kite said. "He just told me to deliver that speech if Gon ever got into a relationship with anyone. It's part of the reason why he keeps sending me to check up on her."

"Ging's been sending you?"

"Yeah," the man sighed as if checking up on his teacher's daughter was a most inconvenient inconvenience in his life. "Don't tell Gon. He doesn't want her to know."

"How come?" Killua had a few reasons in mind, but he was rather curious to know the real one.

"He keeps saying that it's so she doesn't act unnaturally during my visits," Kite explained, though it was obvious the man didn't believe a word his teacher said. "Personally, I think he's just too shy to admit that he worries about her."

Then, why did he abandon her? Killua desperately wanted to know but refrained from asking. It wasn't that important. An answer wouldn't change anything.

. . .

How long had they been like that? Around ten-ish minutes? How can someone stay in a hug for that long? Killua had no idea, but that was probably because he avoided his own mother like the plague. He wondered what it was like to actually love one's parents. It looked better than what he got.

"Alright," Mito said, a bit tearfully, running one last hand through Gon's thick, dark locks before finally releasing her. "You should all hurry, or you'll miss your boat."

Gon smiled and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "We'll see each other soon, Aunt Mito."

Mito nodded a smile on her face despite the fact she was probably ready to burst into tears. Gon joined her friends and the four of them started on their path to the port, the copper-skinned girl never ceasing her waving until Mito was completely out of sight.

"You have a great family, Gon," Kurapika commented as they walked through the trees, taking one of Gon's shortcuts to their destination.

"You think so? I'm glad! Aunt Mito and Grandma Abe are pretty great, and Aunt Mito's cooking is always the best!" Gon chirped, happy to know her friends liked her family.

"As long as there aren't any peppers," Killua muttered. Gon laughed at his comment and warmth filled him at the sound. Kurapika and Leorio exchanged a knowing smile, and Kurapika linked their arms and whispered something in his ears. Killua wasn't sure he wanted to know what those two were planning, especially with the sudden conspiratory atmosphere between the two older teens.

"This way," Gon said, pushing aside some overhanging vines to reveal a path straight to the port.

"You really know your way around," Kurapika complimented, taking in the beautiful view from atop the hill they were currently on.

"I spent a lot of time figuring out the best way around the island. I know the forest better than anyone. Though, that might be because I'm the only person who ever wandered into Foxbear territory."

They weren't surprised.

. . .

"Are you sure we can leave them alone together?" Leorio asked his blonde best friend for the gazillionth time, and Kurapika rolled her eyes in response once again.

"Yes, they'll be fine," she recited, exhausted from Leorio's constant nagging. The Kurta could be quite the nag sometimes as well, but that didn't mean she simply tolerated others of the category. Her temper could only take so much fussiness.

She glanced back at the man, who was still watching the door with a worried expression on his face. Black eyes rolled up in exasperation, and the young woman decided to finally whip out her handy deck of cards. The face of a demented clown appeared in her mind's eye, and she grimaced. She would never look at playing cards the same, but they were small and easy to carry and Leorio needed a distraction.

"A round of war?" the blonde asked, even though she already knew the result of this. Either way, Leorio would be too focused on winning against her - a futile attempt, but admirable effort - that worrying would only take up a very small portion of his thoughts.

"Huh? Uh, okay." He probably wanted to rein in his anxiety as well. Losing several consecutive rounds should keep him occupied. She'd probably have to lose a few on purpose so he didn't lose interest due to the utter hopelessness of his situation. How troublesome. She really was too nice sometimes. The Kurta prayed they'd reach the school soon so she could yell at Chrollo a bit. He was the only person she didn't feel obliged to be nice too.

Grand, now she was thinking about him.

. . .

Killua thanked whatever higher power there was out there for blessing the world with people like Kurapika who successfully gauged the atmosphere between two people and acted accordingly. And by accordingly, he meant dragging Leorio to their cramped cabin and distracting him while Gon and he spent time together. Finally. After, like two weeks of being virtually surrounded by others.

"Killua," Gon called, waving a hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?"

"Hmm, oh, yeah. I'm fine," he reassured, smiling slightly. Gon tilted her head to the side, much like a confused puppy. It was adorable. "What were you saying?"

"I want us all to take the final Hunter Exam before summer starts," Gon said, excitedly, ever the patient one when it came to repeating things. Most people would've at least dropped the enthusiasm. Not Gon. Gon's never faded.

"Heh?!" Killua exclaimed, indignantly. "Isn't that, like, next to impossible?"

Gon shook her head. "Ging finished in a year." Well, yeah, but Ging was insanely powerful. Was what he wanted to say, but he kept his mouth shut as the girl continued. "Besides, aren't Hunters supposed to chase after the impossible?"

Times like this Killua realized that Gon's simple way of looking things could sometimes lead her to think of things in their purest form. In other words, wise words came out of that pretty girl when you least expected them to.

"I guess that's true," Killua agreed, quietly, leaning over the edge of the boat and looking up at the sky, Whale Island hardly a spot in the vast blue. Funny, he'd seen the ocean so many times before on missions, but it never looked quite so lively before.

"You're thinking about your family?" Gon asked, though her certainty rang clear. He nodded slightly and Gon gave him a small smile. "Do you ever miss them."

Killua tilted his head up as he pondered his answer, before slowly shaking his head. "Not really. Honestly, when I'm with you guys, I kind of forget about them."

Suddenly, he felt a thin pair of arms wrap around his waist, a warm face nuzzle into his shoulder. His eyes fell on the smaller teenager and grew wider when he saw the small, content smile on her face. True, Gon smiled often, but there was always an anticipation tied into that smile. Excitement, you could say. This was different. The way her lips curved ever-so-slightly at the ends, a stark contrast to the usually wide grins she gave away to everyone. This was private, intimate. Content.

He wanted to stay like that forever.

But he couldn't. There were things to be done. Sisters to be saved, the world to be ventured with said sister. And this was only temporary. Because despite his father let him go, he highly doubted his entire family shared his sympathy. Heck, they were probably thinking he'd go back himself and become the perfect assassin they'd always thought he'd be.

Gon nuzzled further into his arm, and he shook his head of the tumultuous thoughts. For now, he'd enjoy this small moment. After all, moments were there to be savored and enjoyed.

. . .

"Wha - ?" Leorio trailed off as the shock reached his brain and destabilized his speech pattern.

He'd lost. Again. Fifty-two times out of sixty. He'd won eight times, which was, unfortunately, his own personal best when it came to playing cards with Kurapika. You'd think as a doctor he'd be able to use his brain well enough to beat someone who had almost zero education, but he'd learned to never underestimate anyone. Mostly because of Kurapika, while she was emotionally unstable and her temper could easily be prodded out of its light slumber, was also easily the smartest of them all. Especially when it came to mind games. The girl could easily predict your resources, impending moves, and the exact moment you'll start to cry angry tears at your consecutive losses. Not that Leorio had ever cried. Nope. Definitely not. Okay, maybe like once, but he'd been really drunk that day.

"Ready to give up?" Kurapika asked, smiling that evil smile of hers.

"HELL NO! We're doing a rematch!" The sixty-first rematch to be exact.

. . .

They eventually took an airship back to the city once they reached the mainland. Killua and Gon went off to explore the ship, because Gon really couldn't stay still for longer than a few minutes a time. Kurapika was curled with a dozen books on one of the two bunk beds the room provided. By the time, that the blonde had begun reading her fifth book, Leorio was already sleeping. A few hours later, Gon and Killua returned, one looking slightly less energetic than usual, the other like they were ready to pass out from exhaustion at any moment. Gon could be rather exhausting. Half an hour passed, and both Gon and Killua had fallen asleep. Soon, urged by the promise of sleep, Kurapika also decided to turn in for the night.

Just as the blonde put her tired head to the pillow, she heard a loud noise ricochet off the walls. The loud creaking sound of . . . snoring.

"God dammit, Leorio," she whispered, without even turning to see if it really was the doctor causing the horrible racket.

The next few hours were monopolized by Kurapika's attempts to shut out the noise and fall asleep. No such luck.

Well, tomorrow was going to be angry Kurta-filled. Joy.

. . .

Chrollo sat silently on his bed, reading an ancient piece of text dedicated to the life of a wandering traveler in Jappon.

When he heard the door to the front entrance of the large apartment open, he paid it no heed. If someone wanted to come to him, they would. He didn't have the time nor desire to engage in idle chat with any of Kurapika's friends. As for Kurapika herself, well, he wasn't in the mood to talk to her either, especially after a Spider heist. It'd be hard to hide that side of him and . . .

The door swung open and a tired, irate Kurta walked with a stomp to her step. Then, surprisingly, she collapsed on _his_ bed, muttering nonsensical nonsense under her breath.

"Couldn't make it to your own?" he asked lightly, practically ignoring the weight on the other side of the bed.

"Yours is closer," she replied, voice curt and exasperated, muffled due to her mouthful of pillow.

"Hmm," he rolled onto his side, abandoning his book on the table next to his bed. Arms wrapped around the girl's thin frame and a pair of lips brushed against her forehead. "Why so tired?"

"Leorio's sleeping habits."

That earned her a small chuckle. Not that she seemed to care.

One of his hands instinctively went up to play with her golden hair, stroking it gently, fingers combing it. That movement didn't seem to faze her either. Perhaps, she really was that tired. The room fell into silence and Chrollo thought she might've fallen asleep in his arms.

"Say, what do you think our chances of passing the Hunter Exam by the end of this year are?" her voice prompted, quiet and calm. His hand stopped its stroking for a fraction of a second. Passing in a year? He'd have to get rid of whoever was trying to kill her before then. That could be arranged. Though, it meant more work for him, unfortunately. It would be more difficult to keep tabs on her and make sure she didn't get herself killed, but he doubted anything too serious would happen. It wasn't like she would cut off all contact with her loved ones. Would she?

She would.

He resumed stroking. "Next to impossible."

Her body relaxed, maybe from disappointment. "I thought you'd say that. You're worried, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?" he asked, rather curious despite himself. Not many people could break through his mask.

"Your heart rate picked up," she answered, simply, not moving a muscle from her position. Was she really that tired? "I gathered this put a damper on whatever your plans might be."

A smile spread across his face. She really was good. And had been spending decidedly too much time with Senritsu.

"Smart girl," he praised, quietly. She hummed in agreement and he instantly knew she was drifting off. His hand never ceased its combing motion. Not until a phone rang.

He reached over to pick his phone up off the table.

"Hello?"

 _"'Sup Danchou,"_ a cheerful voice answered from the other side.

"Shalnark."

"You know that guy you asked us to track down?"

"Yes." He got up from the bed, careful not to wake up the sleeping girl. His legs took him to the window.

"Well, he's gone," Shalnark answered, a bit anxiously.

"Gone? Explain."

"Well, the thread Machi planted was found out, and we lost sight of him?" The poor man really sounded nervous.

"I understand. Do you have any leads on where he was going?"

"It looked like he was heading for the Mitene Union."

The Mitene Union? What could he be looking for there?

"How did you come to that conclusion?"

"He was heading for the airport. We hacked into the system, it wasn't too hard to place him. Nothing compared to most Mafia security systems. A bit of a let-down actually," Shalnark complained lightly. Chrollo smiled a bit at the Spider's childishness.

"Thank you, Shalnark. I'll be hanging up now."

"'Kay, bye Danchou!" the young man chirped.

Chrollo sighed. He never liked the idea of leading anyone. Too much work, too much stress. But the Spider was his legacy and his family and he'd die before letting any harm come to it.

By the end of the school year, hmm? He'd have to sway the blonde before that could happen. Seeing as she was comfortable enough to fall asleep with him in such a close vicinity, he'd say that his plan was going quite well.

All that was left to do now was make sure she doesn't figure him out. After all, the man had no intention of choosing between the blonde and his home.

. . .

 **Next Time on NAPP!:**

 **Chrollo figures out why their target had fled to the Mitene Union. Kurapika meets some Spiders in disguise.**

 **(A/N: This chapter didn't turn out at all like I expected, but I like it anyway. It's really long though. Sorry.)**

 **Question of the Day: Which Spiders do you want to show up?**

 **Question of the Day #2: Do you want more KilluGon? I feel like I keep prioritizing KuroKura because I want to build up their relationship, but KilluGon deserves some love as well.**

 **Question of the Day #3: Favorite moment in the story so far? And favorite moment in this chapter?**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Thanks for reviewing : ) I hope you liked this chapter. Yeah, Chrollo's sharing rooms with Kurapika. Partly to keep her safe, and partly to keep tabs on her nen. But the latter is a personal reason which he hadn't told Netero about. Hisoka just needs someone to run away from. Maybe if he tries to fight Kurapika, Danchou might give him the time of day. Probably not. He's just gonna make the Indoor Fish kill him. Dang, Chrollo can be pretty scary. I was traumatized for a while, but then I saw him in a suit and was like, dang, why didn't he just become a male model or something? And yeah, Chrollo's an expert smooth talker. Remember that talk with Neon? He's really good at making people love him. Killua is a spoiled brat, I agree, but he knows what he's talking about most of the time. BTW, Ging and Emilie will be back eventually. Poor Mito.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: Thanks for reading this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. If you would be so kind as to review that would be much appreciated. Until next time my name is Chocoholic 221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	30. Strange People

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter**

 **A/N: Thirtieth Chapter, people! At the moment, NAPP stands at 90,516 words! That's 373.7 pages that y'all have stuck around to read. So, I'm here to thank you all for reading so far. Especially my frequent reviewers: Sweets Dreamer, MedusaLegend, Tigerhiddeninshadows, Akirsch-senpai (whose name I always worry I spelled wrong), Shishi. Thank you, thank you, thank you all so much. You all motivated me so much among all the chaos of starting a new life in college. Thank ye kindly.**

 **Warning: KuroKura overload this chapter. Chrollo's been holding back a lot, and he wants to do couple-y things with her.**

 **Chapter 30: Strange People**

"Hiya, danchou!" Shalnark chirped as he walked in with a stoic Machi behind him. The blonde looked as hyperactive and cheerful as always, ready to make as many friends and kill as many of said friends as Chrollo asked.

"Shalnark," Chrollo greeted, "I see you've figured it out?"

Shalnark nodded, fervently. He pulled out his phone and pressed a few buttons. "I think he went to the Mitene Union to find this guy." Shalnark lifted the contraption to his eye level. A picture of a cloaked man glowed on the screen. The upper half of his face was completely obscured, the lower half showed some gruesome scars. Above him, in large black font, was a name: Likon Serrien.

"He's -"

"A dream manipulator. I think our target could use someone like him in this situation," Shalnark finished, still smiling.

Chrollo nodded and steepled his fingers. Why attack from the outside if one could simply poison the target's mind instead?

This man clearly hadn't done his research. Kurapika was nothing if not strong-willed. She wouldn't give up that easily. Besides, the little Kurta was accustomed to nightmares.

"Danchou?" Machi finally asked. Chrollo gave her a pointed look to continue. He knew she'd been wanting to ask this for a while. "Your brother. The man who's gone after the girl you're protecting. How did he get out of that prison cell."

"Clearly, someone let him out," Chrollo replied, leaning back in his chair. "Even if his nen had been placed in a zetsu state, he's still a manipulator at heart. He knows how to twist someone's head around."

"But who?"

"It doesn't matter," Chrollo announced, decisively. Then, he smiled at his pseudo sister. "He's out now. Which means that this time, I can't be as lenient as the last. That's all."

Machi nodded, though he could tell she was itching to take care of whoever had freed that man all those years ago. As heartless as she appeared, Machi was easily one of the most emotional Spiders.

Shalnark's phone buzzed and Machi's focus temporarily shifted to him instead.

"Ah," Shalnark said, mirth laced in with his already jovial tone. "Uvogin is fooling around again."

"Make sure he doesn't accidentally cross onto campus. He'll stand out too much and break too many things." And Netero will make him pay for it. Chrollo really wasn't looking forward to another bill. While he was rich for all intents and purposes, he liked holding onto his money. A result of growing up in Meteor City, no doubt. Or perhaps, bills were just naturally hated by all living things?

"Gotcha, danchou." And the two Spiders started to make their exit, only to be interrupted by frantic barking and the pitter-patter of tiny feet against the wooden floors. A black ball of fur commenced running circles around the office.

"Stop that dog!" a shout shattered through the air, and the Spiders' escape was once again interrupted by an irate blue-haired girl. And then, both the puppy and Neon were running circles around the office, before the little canine finally had enough and made his getaway. The two Spiders in the doorway did nothing, Shalnark looking amused and Machi simply bored out of her mind as usual. In the end, Neon's savior appeared in the form of her crush and her crush's dark-haired friend respectively.

Kurapika had evidently been the one to catch the dog. She quickly transferred the puppy to Gon's arms and the girl happily accepted.

"K-Kurapika," Neon stuttered out. Kurapika's hair was a little windswept and her face a little red from the cold weather. She was wearing a coat and jeans and looking absolutely gorgeous despite the fact that that particular shade of blue sort of clashed with her brown eyes. Oh dear, Neon was sure she must be looking like a complete idiot with her face burning up and that witty comment stuck in her throat.

"Hello, Neon," Kurapika greeted, waving her hand a bit. "Is that your dog?"

"Ah, yes," she said, still in a daze. The words finally processed in her head, and her hands suddenly lifted into an 'x'. "No! No, no, no! It's just that our teacher brought in puppies for us to take care of today, and mine just . . . got away."

How stupid of her. She couldn't even take care of a puppy.

Kurapika surprised her once again by laughing. "Slippery, aren't they. I remember working at an animal shelter once. The animals liked me well enough, but they were rather energetic. In other words, they kept running away."

Neon laughed a bit as well, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. She shouldn't have doubted her. Kurapika always knew what to do to relieve the tension. And she'd laughed! Neon couldn't recall ever hearing her laugh. It was beautiful. As expected.

She really needed to step up her game. As of right now, Neon was certain that at least eighty percent of the student population that was between the ages of fourteen and twenty-three had some sort of romantic intentions toward Kurapika. But the biggest threat no doubt was that _bodyguard_. Not only was he clearly into the pretty blonde, but Kurapika was actually reciprocating his affections! Not that Neon could blame her, Mr. Lucilfer was polite, respectful, gorgeous from every possible angle, and above all, just as intelligent and quick-witted as her. Two good-looking, genius individuals. How could they not get together? But Neon hadn't lost hope yet. After all, she had yet to see them do anything remotely romantic. It was just in the way they looked at each other. How his touches lingered a little too long, and how Kurapika seemed to relish every one of them.

"Neon," Gon suddenly called. "Are you coming?"

"Oh . . . yeah," she said, a bit reluctantly, letting her gaze linger on the pretty woman moving further into the room and showing no signs of leaving. What was she planning on doing here? What business was so important that she absolutely needed to meet with Mr. Lucilfer right now? Could it be? Was she just here to have a make out session with him or something? No way. Kurapika wasn't that type of person, and Neon had just been watching too many rom-coms and dramas. Yes, that had to be it.

Neon glanced at the smiling girl next to her. She might know, right? Gon and Kurapika were really close, after all?

"Hey, Gon?" Neon started, feeling a bit awkward.

"Yeah," she answered, petting the little puppy's dark head.

"Isn't Kurapika joining us?" That was right. She just needed to approach the topic casually.

"Nah, Kurapika came here to talk with Mr. Lucilfer. She said not to wait up for her. It'll take a while."

Talk? Talk about what? Was that a code for kissing someone senseless? No, no, she had already decided that Kurapika wasn't about to do any of that. She just wasn't that type of person.

Was she?

. . .

"So, what did you come here for?" Chrollo asked as he closed the door behind her. Kurapika was vaguely aware that they were alone in a room, and the memories of that kiss on the balcony suddenly flooded her mind. She shook her head of the thoughts. This was no time for . . .

Hold on, how'd she get on the desk? When did his lips touch hers? Had her brain just blocked out that entire detail? Or did it just happen so fast?

"Go on," he urged, tongue darting across her lower lip. "Don't let me stop you."

"Well, I," her breath hitched a bit, as he dove further, one hand on her thigh and another in her hair. Their bodies pressed so close together that it sent her senses into overdrive. The zipper to her coat somehow becoming undone.

"Hmm," he hummed, moving his head so his lips trailed kisses down her neck instead. As if that was supposed to help her get the words out. What words, again?

He reached the base of her neck, and she let a low moan slip past her lips. She covered her mouth in shock. Kurapika did not moan. And she certainly was _not_ enjoying this. That much. Certainly not.

So, what was she doing with one hand in his inky hair? It was almost as if she wanted him to keep going.

Bloody hell, she was playing right into his hands. Or arms. Whatever.

Her mind finally cleared from the arousal-inducing haze, as the man kissed a spot below her ear. She shivered, withdrew her hands from his neck and hair respectively, and placed them on his chest.

As they parted, Chrollo's dark eyes became darker still with unsatisfied hunger. She leaned away a little further, biting her bruised lower lip, and hands shakily zipping up her coat to her chin. No more. And just with that small gesture, Chrollo's eyes lightened up, and he uncaged her.

"What was that?" she found herself asking, as she jumped off the desk.

"An example, maybe," he said, as if he wasn't quite sure himself.

"Please tell me that camera was off," Kurapika pleaded, looking to the small CCTV on the ceiling.

"Of course," he answered. "Shut them off before you even came in."

"Good," she sighed, pushing some golden hair out of her eyes. "Netero would've never let me live that one down."

"You had something to tell me," he said, opting to pull her into a hug from behind and bury his face in her neck.

"Don't try anything," she warned.

"Of course," he whispered into her skin.

Well, this would have to do. It was kind of cozy anyway. And no, she certainly was not melting into his arms. She was just leaning in a bit, that was all.

"I had a nightmare," she muttered, stroking his hand gently despite herself. His grip around her waist tightened, and he nuzzled into her neck, breathing in her scent.

"You always have nightmares," he countered.

"This was different," she insisted, twisting her head a bit to face him. Black eyes met hers, and she felt that urge to close the gap again. A result of their little tryst a few seconds ago. Though, if she was being completely honest, the urge had been there for much longer. But she wasn't. Being completely honest, that was. The Kurta forced her brain to focus once more. To remember the nightmare in detail. The faces of her fallen kin. The vision of a man with a reversed cross on his back standing over them. The eerie voice that echoed through it all. "There was a man standing over them this time. And a voice."

"A voice?" he repeated.

"I've never heard it before then. It wasn't a creepy voice either. Really, it was rather mellow, like a lullaby." Her voice came out like a trance. As if she wasn't even thinking as they left her lips. She just sunk deeper into his arms, burying half her face in his chest.

"So, they've already gotten to you," he muttered, running a hand through her hair, only to let it lie on her shoulder. "Don't worry. It's just the work of a dream manipulator. He can't make you do anything. Just treat as you would any other nightmare." She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Unless." Unless? He suddenly pushed her away, hands on her shoulders.

Then, he stepped closer again, cupping her chin.

"Unless," he continued, huskily, their faces hardly a centimeter apart, "you'd like me to keep you awake."

"I'll pass," she answered, unimpressed, though her heart had picked up the pace a bit. Silly heart.

"Such a shame," he pouted, jokingly, pulling her closer with every word. "I guess you'll just have to be plagued by nightmares."

"I guess so," she whispered, her arms circling around his neck. Her fingers made their way to his hair. "I really should be goin-"

And they closed the gap once more. Nightmares and dream manipulators were forgotten for the moment.

. . .

Kurapika crossed the star lit, snow-covered field. She'd taken far too long in that office. Even the sun had given up on her. She willed her aura to keep out most of the cold, but even she could tell it was absolutely frigid. Chrollo had told her he'd be along later, so she had to face it all alone too. That was fine, though. After all, she was going to face a lot more than just cold weather alone. There was no way she was bringing any of her friends into her fight against the Spider. Not even Chrollo.

Her fingers found her bruised lips again, searing still despite the cold and despite there being no Chrollo still kissing her. She almost smiled.

"That's a nice expression," a joyful voice noted. Kurapika turned towards the source: a young man, not much older than her, with blonde hair and green eyes. He wore a sleeveless lavender shirt and matching long pants.

"Aren't you cold?" Kurapika asked, concerned, hands ready on the zipper of her coat.

"No, the cold doesn't bother me much," the young man answered, cheerfully. "I think it's nice, actually. It clears my head."

"Like your head needs clearing," a feminine voice scoffed. Kurapika looked up to see a pretty pink-haired, blue-eyed woman with a scary face lying on a sturdy branch. The woman pointed to her neck. "You're gonna want to hide those."

"Hide?" Kurapika asked, confused, as her hand hovered over the place the woman had directed.

"You'll see soon enough," Machi said, jumping from the branch and walking in the general direction of the building Kurapika had just left. "Come on, Shalnark."

"Ah, hold on, Machi." The young man scampered to get up, but instead of following Machi as Kurapika had expected, the young man turned to her instead. "You must be really amazing, Miss. For Danchou to want to keep you safe so much."

"Shalnark!" Machi shouted, patience growing thin.

"Coming," Shalnark shouted back, and then he took Kurapika's hand and placed a laminated piece of paper. "That's a list of all the numbers you're gonna need. Danchou's, mine, Machi's. Don't tell her though, she'll kill me. If you ever need anything. Just call one of us. Danchou is probably your best bet, but if you ever need someone to hack into a government system, I'm your guy. Machi's kind of scary, but she does have a soft spot for girls, especially strong, independent ones like you. Again, don't tell her I told you that, please? She'll kill me."

"Shalnark!"

"Alright, alright, I'm coming," he said, finally running after the young woman, leaving Kurapika alone with a laminated, lavender piece of paper in her ice-cold hands.

Wait? Hack into a government system? Who were these people?

. . .

Chrollo sighed, as the door finally closed.

His control was waning. Kurapika's was too. She waited too long to push him away. As soon as she walked in through the door, and he knew that she had no intention of leaving, it almost felt like his mind had finally threw its hands up in the air. Red-faced and windswept, she looked absolutely ravishing. And her walls, for once, were all gone.

His eyes fixed on his hand, the hand that had held her just a few minutes ago. The hand that had killed so many.

Chrollo didn't feel a shred of regret for the lives he had taken up till now. Not even for the lives of the Kurta Clan. He just couldn't find it in him to do so. Was it unfortunate? Yes. Was he sorry? The answer was still a resounding no. He wasn't the type of person to regret anything. The Spider Head had no time for such feelings. He had to keep going.

Ah, there it was. That emotion. He wanted her, but he also wanted her to find someone better. Someone like her doctor friend, though perhaps less ridiculous. Someone who didn't kill without remorse. Someone who wasn't the very man she was seeking to destroy. She deserved normalcy in at least part of her life.

"Hey, Danchou!" Shalnark walked in unceremoniously. "I just had a talk with your girlfriend!"

He was a thief.

He was also her protector.

He was technically her lover.

And it was all because of Netero.

. . .

Kurapika stared at her reflection in the mirror, or rather at the pinkish marks on her neck. Chrollo clearly didn't understand that she had a reputation to uphold. So, she had been letting him get away with a few kisses too many lately. That didn't mean he could just mark up her neck like she was his lover or something. Because she wasn't. She never would be.

Her hand hovered over the marks. There was too much she wanted to do to even consider a relationship. Yet, here she was.

Well, she was going to be wearing turtlenecks for a while. How long did it take for these things to disappear?

"Kurapika!" Biscuit's voice finally reached her. "What're you doing in there?"

"Ah," Kurapika said, as she quickly whipped up an excuse. "Sorry, I got sidetracked. Do you need something?"

"Your uncle wants to speak to us."

That old man? What did he want now?

 **NEXT ON NAPP!:**

 **There are only a couple chapters left, and the climax is coming. Kurapika and Danchou are doing couple-y things, and KilluGon is deciding how to go about the Hunter Exam. Leorio tells them he's going to stick around for his Med program. And Danchou's bro is making his final move.**

 **(A/N: Hope that KuroKura scene didn't come out of nowhere. I kind of tried to build up to it through Neon's speculation. It's currently the start of February in their world. Man, so much has happened. You can guess the Kurapika and Chrollo have probably been doing a lot more couple-y things.)**

 **Question of the Day: If the main four went to college, what would they major in? I'm leaning towards criminology for Kurapika since he's all about chaining down evil in the depths of hell and stuff.**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Yeah, KilluGon is definitely the cute ship in this fic. KuroKura is more of the angsty/kinda-wanna-kiss-kinda-wanna-kill ship. In other words, the love-hate ship, at least on Kurapika's side. Nah, you're not a horrible person. You just have your personal preference. I secretly prefer writing KuroKura because there's more to do with them. Like, I could never do with them what I did with the chain pair in this chapter. They're too young and too precious. While both Chrollo and Kurapika are kind of messed up in the head, and Kurapika, while only eighteen, is mature beyond her years. Chrollo is pretty scary, but he would never do anything to hurt Kurapika. No worries there.**

 **MedusaLegend: Hi there. Thanks for reviewing. I hope you enjoyed the story thus far. I've never watched Avatar, but Katara seems pretty cool. There's a lot of Chrollo and Kurapika kisses in this chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter : )**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: Thank you for reading, please review, I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	31. a message

**Disclaimer: I do not own H x H.**

 **(A/N: Can you guys believe there's only like 3-4 chapters left in NAPP! It's so exciting. Don't worry, though. I'm making two sequels. It's gonna be a trilogy. Kurapika's gonna be put through a lot. Anyway, it's probably gonna take a while to finish the whole series because I don't trust Togashi to finish the DC arc anytime soon. Maybe I'll just go off canon again. I mean, I've already got Kurapika and Chrollo as a couple.)**

 **Chapter 31: a message**

"President Netero, the kids are here," Hotaru announced, letting the four students slip past her.

"Ah, come in, come in," he greeted them in his grandfatherly voice. He lifted a plate of golden-brown pastries. "Cookies?"

"No, thank you."

"Yes, please!" both Leorio and Gon said in unison, going up to the man and grabbing handfuls of the little desserts, all while ignoring the facepalming Kurapika and Killua.

"Alright, let's get down to business," Netero said from his handstand position on the table."I heard you four wanted to take the Exam this year."

The four of them nodded, not even questioning how he found that out. The man had eyes everywhere. Heck, Chrollo was probably the one who told him.

"Here," he pointed to a pile of papers beside him. "Think of this as a review guide. And before you ask, Kurapika. Yes, I give it to everyone, so don't you worry about favoritism. There are four copies for each of you. The exam will be handled in four stages: a written exam, a physical endurance exam, a nen test, and my favorite, the obstacle course."

Yes, yes, the obstacle course truly was fun. Perhaps, a bit dangerous, but fun nonetheless.

Kurapika was the one who went to retrieve the papers, study mode on from the get-go. She handed the other three guides out to her friends and then started flipping through the pages.

"What are our chances?" she finally asked, not even sparing him a curious glance.

"Surprisingly high." And by high, he meant higher than the five percent most students got.

The four friends filed out then, chatting about the Hunter Exam excitedly, leaving Netero alone to recall what he was supposed to do today. Oh yes, he still needed to talk with Chrollo. The man's been closing in on his niece a little too quickly lately. He had no interest in seeing mini Chrollos and Kurapikas running around. Not that they would actually do it, but better be safe than sorry. Their kids would be absurdly powerful and probably psychotic. There were enough psychos running around.

. . .

"Chrollo," Kurapika warned, voice wavering only slightly as the man leaned in with a sly, playful smirk on his face.

"Yes, darling?" he purred, as he drew her closer, one hand caressing her cheek.

"We are in a closet," she pointed out. No way was she doing anything in a closet. Besides, her next class was in half an hour.

"Would you prefer to go back to my office? Our room?" he suggested, and her face grew red. Red with anger!

He leaned down to place a small peck on her lips, her hands still on his shoulders, waiting for the order to push him away. It didn't come. He kissed her again, this time with a bit more fervor.

Alright, she decided, but only for a few seconds more. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her fingers curled into his soft hair.

And then the door opened, with a madly blushing young maid on the other side, averting her eyes. Kurapika looked at her, then glanced at Chrollo, and then, as if just realizing that they were still in the same compromising position, she tried to get some distance between them. The maid was still standing there.

Oh dear. The poor girl must be traumatized.

"Hello, Elizabeth," Chrollo greeted, and the maid blushed even harder. Kurapika squirmed in his arms, eager to get out of the rather embarrassing situation, and he planted one last kiss on the side of her temple before conceding. Kurapika quickly jumped at least a foot away from, face burning.

"I," she cleared her throat, awkwardly, "should really be going."

The red-haired maid watched her go, and Kurapika could feel her crystal blue eyes on her back. This was the last time she was letting Chrollo decide where they should go on their free time. A closet. A freaking closet! This was the last time she let Chrollo decide how to spend her free time. She should be studying for the Hunter Exam right now, not making out in a _closet_.

Realization slowly dawned on her. Chrollo . . . didn't really want her to pass. Was he planning on distracting her with their little pseudo-relationship, so she failed the exam?

That sly bastard. No wonder he had been so forward the last couple of weeks.

. . .

She probably thought he was doing this to distract her, and perhaps she was right, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying every second of it. Of spoiling her, showering her with affection. It was fun.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd let yourself go so easily," Senritsu commented, shuffling into the office with a bunch of files. "You seem so happy."

"Do I?"

Senritsu nodded, placing the files on the desk. "I suppose that's Kurapika's influence."

"Naturally."

Senritsu smiled a motherly little smile. "I'm glad. Her heartbeat's changed as well. It's lighter. She sounds much more at peace." She closed her eyes and placed a hand over her own heart. "It's like whatever has been weighing on her mind has lessened finally." She opened her eyes again and smiled. "I suppose that's _your_ influence."

"Don't give me so much credit," Chrollo chided, leaning back in his office chair. "Her friends have been quite helpful."

"You have a plan?" Senritsu asked, and Chrollo guessed his heartbeat must have changed.

"Yes," he answered, and her face fell a bit. "Don't worry though. It's all to protect her."

"From that man you told me about?" Senritsu asked, but there was an assumption in her words. She knew there was more to protect the girl from. The Spider, for example. Chrollo didn't care how broken she was in the end, as long as she was alive. Chrollo had no doubt Senritsu would disapprove of his methods, but he wasn't losing Kurapika again. Not to that man, and especially not to herself.

"Yes." He picked up the first file and skimmed it over. Varian was having trouble with stress again. Kate Lyn couldn't seem to be able to focus on anything, probably the result of a recent heartbreak. Neon was pining for Kurapika and new designer clothes, as per usual. Now if only she used that passion for her studies. Gon seemed careless as usual, and Killua was cool and calm, except when Gon did something reckless, in which case he was close to a heart attack. Leorio was worried about everything. About Kurapika, about Gon and Killua and their budding relationship, about the fact that he was the only one in their group that didn't have a significant other, and especially about med school. In other words, just another normal month for him.

Chrollo's hands reached for Kurapika's file, and as usual, his interest was piqued. Heartbeat steady, facial expression less scary than usual, head in the clouds. Head in the clouds? Kurapika wasn't one to daydream unless it was about the demise of yours truly.

"Are you sure she's that distracted, Senritsu?" Chrollo asked, glancing at the stubby woman over the top of the file.

"Gazing off into the distance in her free time like a love-struck teen. It's honestly the healthiest expression I've seen on her," Senritsu explained, her voice sad and amused at the same time.

"That's good," Chrollo said, standing up and placing Kurapika's file with the rest. "Everything seems in order for now. Thank you, Senritsu. Your ability truly comes in handy when you're psychologically profiling over a thousand different people."

Senritsu nodded, but there was something akin to deliberation in her eyes.

"You want to say something, just say it," Chrollo suggested. He wasn't one to wait for others.

"I wanted to make sure," she started, "that you weren't playing with her."

Chrollo turned towards her, looking a bit surprised, not because of the question but because of how obvious the answer was. "Of course not."

His phone suddenly buzzed and, thinking it was someone important like Shalnark, he quickly whipped it out of his pocket.

 _Hey, loverboy._

 _Control yourself._

 _\- N_

Nevermind, it was just Netero being annoying again. Chrollo dutifully ignored the ridiculous text, and placed the phone back in his pocket, a little irked now. He had plenty of self-control, thank you very much. Just because he stole a few kisses here and there, everyone suddenly thought he was thinking of . . . well, whatever.

. . .

"You're going to catch a cold if you stay out here for too long," Chrollo warned from behind the safety of a small group of trees, looking quite comfortable lying in the snow with a bunch of books and a cup of steaming coffee.

"I'm fine," Kurapika said, though her voice had already changed a bit in pitch. He sighed resignedly. He just had to take care of her once she got a fever. He wondered what a bedridden Kurapika was like.

She dodged another snowball by throwing herself into _his_ hiding spot. The girl peeked out of the trees to gauge the competition.

"Aren't you supposed to be studying or something?" he asked, already making a list of all the things he'd have to add to his already full to-do list if his girlfriend for all intents and purposes got sick.

"Physical activity is known to improve exam performances," Kurapika informed as if he didn't already know that. He was a psychologist, for God's sake.

"But did you have to pick something so rowdy?" He came to the school to relax, dammit. He had enough rowdiness from his Spiders.

"They started it!" Kurapika insisted, almost childishly. And with her wide black eyes and flushed cheeks, Chrollo couldn't help but find her adorable. "I'm simply avenging my pride! I wouldn't have joined in if they hadn't hit me."

"I'm pretty sure that was an accident." Who in their right mind would want to be on the receiving end of Kurapika's rage?

"Oh, shut up," she said, as she rolled up her next snowball. A perfect sphere as usual. "The circumstances are irrelevant."

He wondered if that would apply to him as well once she found out about his affiliation to the Spider?

. . .

Somehow, Chrollo ended up having to stay the night in Kurapika's bed. Mostly because the nightmares were getting worse, and having him there helped her calm down. Not that she'd ever admit it because that'd mean admitting he had an effect on her.

"Why do we have two beds again?" Chrollo asked. After all, it seemed like they were sharing more often than not. Kurapika was secretly a cuddler. Who knew, right?

"No complaining," Kurapika ordered a bit grumpily. She was getting tired, her body relaxing into his embrace as she drifted off. There was a bit of nervousness mixed in as well. Anyone would be at least a little nervous if they were plagued by nightmares every night and knew that the person controlling them was trying to get them to kill themselves. He was surprised she got to sleep at all.

He kissed her forehead, as he always did before she went to sleep: a reassurance that he'd be here when she woke up. Her grip on his shirt - which he had been forced to wear by Kurapika because she was not sharing a bed with a half-naked man - tightened and loosened. And then, her breathing became rhythmic and her limbs went limp.

Chrollo didn't sleep much that night. He didn't need much sleep anyway, so it wouldn't have much of an effect on him. The man had been filled with a weariness for a while now. His senses were going haywire telling him something was wrong, even though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Either way, it was probably coming soon.

He pulled the woman closer, almost protectively, as if to say _"mine. Touch her and die."_ Because she was his. At least for now. And he wasn't going to let it be cut off by his psychopathic brother. That man had stolen enough from him already. He wouldn't let him take her too. Not again.

. . . A few hours later . . .

"I told you," he said, matter-of-factly, watching the young woman enter another coughing fit with his arms crossed and face blank.

"Oh, shut up."

 **. . .**

 **Next On NAPP!:**

 **Chrollo's brother makes his move, and it's a move that even shakes Chrollo's resolve.**

 **Question of the Day: What is Chrollo's brother's next move gonna be?**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **MedusaLegend: I know right? Killua's just so hard to place. Acting might be a good career choice, though. He's probably undecided, to be honest. I looked up the Doctors Without Borders program thanks to your comment. Learn something new every day. Gon would definitely do something with animals. I'm glad you liked the kisses. Chrollo is getting forward. What can I say, the man just loves showering his Kurta with affection. Oh, and Kurapika's reaction to Chrollo being her arch enemy will be . . . interesting to say the least. And also won't happen until the YorkNew City Arc where things get heated up real fast. You can assume it'll be an emotional rollercoaster for poor Kurapika. Thanks for reviewing as always, and I hope you liked this chapter. : )**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter. Fair warning, things are about to get dark. And will only get darker in the sequel *Exits with ominous music***


	32. Sicknesses

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter**

 **A/N: So, we're at 102 reviews. I just wanted to thank all who've helped make that possible. Thank you all so much : )**

 **Warning: You could definitely take a psychological lens to this and see symptoms of schizophrenia. Sorry if that makes anyone uncomfortable. I suggest you skip those parts in that case. It's pretty intense.**

 **Chapter 32: Sicknesses**

"Say, ah," Chrollo said, waving the silver spoon in front of her, red liquid swaying with the motion. Kurapika glared at him. She could see he was enjoying treating her like a child, and while it was nice to see him acting like a relatively normal human being for once, the fact that it came at her own expense was unnecessary.

"I can do it myself," she replied, face blank, but Chrollo took that moment to shove the horrid-tasting medicine down her throat. She swallowed and cringed at the foul taste, before reaching for the glass of water on her nightstand. Once she was done cleansing her palate, her glare returned full force. Her bodyguard/psychologist/childhood-friend/boyfriend-for-all- intents-and-purposes simply smiled back innocently.

Her glare intensified, and most people would've backed off by now, but Chrollo just kept smiling.

"I hate you."

"That's cute."

She groaned and buried herself under the million blankets he'd insisted she simply must sleep under. All to help her recuperate, he said. Right, he just wanted to annoy her. His hand brushed over her forehead, and she almost shivered under the cool touch.

"Your fever's come down a bit," he noted. "Get some rest for now. You'll be fine by the end of the week."

"It's only Tuesday."

"Not my fault that you decided to sneak out and take those tests yesterday. You should know your own limits, Kurapika," he chided, turning serious again. "You fainted as soon as you walked out of the testing site."

"I still got an A," she informed, quietly.

. . .

 _. . Flashback, cuz this story's really cute, and you'll need some fluff before this chap gets dark . . ._

 _Kurapika dragged herself out of bed, ignoring the painful drumming in her head. She shivered a bit from no longer being under the blankets._

 _A floorboard creaked under her feet and she whipped her head around to make sure it hadn't woken up her hyper-aware bodyguard. He looked fast asleep. Kind of cute if she was being completely honest._

 _She shook her head. This was no time to marvel at a sleeping Chrollo. Most people were cute when they slept, anyway. It wasn't that miraculous. She had to get to her first class. Three tests on the same day. And she was sick too. Well, life was nothing without the little detours._

 _"Miss Calin," her teacher greeted, looking a bit concerned by her appearance. "Are you feeling alright?"_

 _"Very well, thank you, Mr. Lindt," she answered, taking a seat in the front row. The tall balding man didn't seem too convinced, but he let it go and started passing out the exam._

 _Kurapika shook her head one last time before she started the test. She finished in twenty minutes, turned in her exam, and promptly left to take the next exam. Chrollo probably wouldn't wake up until at least nine thirty. She'd get her tests done before then and be back in bed in no time. He would never even know she was gone._

" _There's my best student," Lippo said, smiling as usual. "You look a bit sick, Miss Calin. That's good, shows you have determination."_

" _Thanks?"_

 _Lippo smiled and handed her the test. The room was still empty because technically the exam wasn't starting until nine, but she couldn't wait and waste any more time._

 _She finished in fifteen minutes this time, and she felt her uneasiness ebb away. At this rate, she would finish all three tests in less than an hour._

" _Have a nice date, Miss Calin," Lippo said, as she exited the room. Perhaps, if she had actually listened to his wording, she would've noticed something off about it. Instead, she simply responded in kind and closed the door behind her. She sighed and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Her throat was killing her, and her body felt sore all over, and she felt she might faint at any moment._

'Just a little longer,' _she thought,_ 'and then I'll be back in bed.'

 _Her plans were cut short the moment she saw who was leaning against the wall opposite her. Pale skin gleamed in the fluorescent lights, dark eyes narrowed dangerously, mouth pulled down in a scowl, arms crossed over his chest. He was already dressed in a suit and looked ready to give her a lecture._

" _What," he started, voice barely above a whisper but it felt much more threatening than it would have if he'd simply shouted, "are you doing?"_

 _Why did she find this incredibly attractive? Stop, brain!_

" _I couldn't just skip out," she said. "Three big exams on the same day, I couldn't miss them."_

" _You could take them another day."_

" _And then I'd be behind," she tried to reason, but the man's eyes just seemed to get darker. She swallowed thickly, and in her feverish mind, the young woman noted that the man in front of her looked almost dangerous._

 _He dipped his head and exhaled, then he looked back up, eyes a bit brighter. "You do realize that just because they're targeting you from the inside, it doesn't mean they won't attack you if you leave yourself open."_

 _So, that was what he was worried about?_

" _I'm not weak. I can take care of myself in that case," Kurapika answered._

" _Not in this state."_

" _I feel fine." She started walking away as if to prove a point. "If that's all. I'm going to the next test, then."_

 _She didn't even get around the corner before her head swam and her eyesight blurred. Next thing she knew she was held in a tight embrace with a worried looking Chrollo staring down at her._

" _What?" Did she faint or something?_

" _Feel fine, hmm?" Shit. There goes her excuse._

 _. . . End of Flashback . . ._

After that incident, the man promptly brought her back to their room, dropped her on the bed, and ordered her to stay put until her fever dropped. Bossy man.

She hadn't left the house since then, other than a few minutes outside to clear her head. Chrollo said he was doing this for her own good, but she could practically see the words 'revenge' blinking in his eyes. He wanted to teach her a lesson. Whatever lesson that might be.

She yawned and pulled the comforter up to her chin, deciding she'd think about Chrollo's intentions later.

. . .

"How do you do it?" Leorio said as he walked into the kitchen. The obsidian-eyes man sat there with a book and cup of coffee, clearly ignoring him. "When I tried to keep her from doing what she wanted, she just gave me a glare and did it anyway. What's your secret?"

Silence. It stretched for a good ten minutes, and Leorio started to feel the awkward tension in the air and then . . .

"I make sure she doesn't leave."

"Yeah, but how?" Leorio asked. He'd known Kurapika for almost her entire life, and also knew that woman was as stubborn as a mule.

"Some persuasion," Chrollo said, cryptically, and the doctor's mind immediately went to the gutter.

"Wait . . . have you two . . . done _it_?" he asked, incredulously. The pervert! No way was he letting him touch his less-than-innocent pseudo-sister.

"Done what?" Chrollo's face was annoyingly passive like he hadn't just asked him about things that were really supposed to be kept out of all conversation. But . . . he needed to know.

"You know," Leorio said. He leaned in a bit closer, so no possible eavesdroppers could possibly overhear, and whispered, "slept together?"

"In the same bed, you mean?" Chrollo asked. "But of course."

Leorio's eyes narrowed. Was he really that oblivious, or was he just messing with him? Leorio figured the latter.

"So, no?" Leorio asked. Chrollo smirked and shook his head slightly. The young doctor heaved a sigh of relief. He should have known that Kurapika wouldn't be so careless, but still, two sexually active adults? It was hard to ignore the possibility, especially with the word 'persuasion' thrown in. Speaking of which. "So, how'd you do it?"

"I told her I'd bring all her school work to her anyway, so it didn't matter if she went or not."

"Oh." Well, that was . . . normal.

"What are you two talking about?" a tired voice asked. Killua, who was also sick, though not as ill as Kurapika, walked to the fridge and pulled out some things to make a sandwich.

Leorio sent Chrollo a pleading look, Chrollo smirked and an understanding formed between the two men.

 _I won't tell him if you don't._

"About the flu outbreak," Chrollo answered, smoothly, spinning a lie like it was some sort of thread and he was Rumpelstiltskin. "Apparently, Leorio's workload has nearly tripled."

"Eh?" Killua asked. "Sucks for you, old man."

"Old man!" Leorio shouted, indignantly.

"Don't be so noisy, old man. You'll wake up Gon," Killua said, sitting down next to the doctor and biting into the sandwich. Leorio couldn't believe this kid had so much nerve. How did this little demon spawn win over an angel like Gon?

"Wass going on?" a drowsy voice asked, this time feminine, though it had been lowered slightly due to her cold.

"I thought I told you to rest," Chrollo scolded, as the blonde slowly made her way to the kitchen and started rummaging among the cupboards. She made some tea and seemed intent on carrying back to her room. Her bodyguard watched her every move like a hawk. The way her hands shook slightly, her eyes wide and almost scared. Was it the fever, or maybe a particularly vivid nightmare? Whatever it was, she didn't seem too distraught. He would just ask her once they were in the bedroom again.

His plans shattered with the sound of china breaking into a million pieces on the floor. They then burned in the kerosene of concern. Kurapika hadn't even looked down to inspect the damage, she just stood there staring at the corridor leading back to their room like she'd seen a ghost.

Something clicked in his mind.

"Kurapika," he called out to her, reached out to her, and shook her out of her stupor. She blinked, looked down, and then swore a bit. Tea pooled over the floor, and shards of expensive china gleamed in the light of the sconces in the corridor. She turned back to the kitchen to grab a towel, but when she returned Chrollo took it out of her hands gently, leaned in, and whispered, "I'll take care of this. Go rest for now."

Her hands shook again, but she did as she was told. Chrollo joined her a few minutes later.

"What's wrong?" he asked, but Kurapika's lips were sealed. He walked closer, but she shrunk away. "Was it a nightmare again?"

Kurapika nodded after a moment's hesitation. So, it was a dream. But there was more to it than that. She stopped in the hallway because she'd seen something.

"What did you see?" he asked, and her eyes widened. She looked up as if to ask how he'd known. "Well?"

Kurapika's hands tightened into fists, and then he heard her soft reply, "Pairo."

"Pairo?" Ah, now he remembered, that was that small boy who sometimes came to see him with Kurapika. "And what else? What did you hear?"

"Chrollo, I . . . don't want to talk about it," Kurapika muttered, finally, rubbing her arm with her other hand. They were still shaking, and her eyes were still focused on something behind him,

"He's still here, isn't he?" Chrollo took her shoulders. "Kurapika, ignore him. Focus on me, alright? Just focus on my voice."

Kurapika nodded, trying hard not to look over his shoulder. He decided to make it easier for her by pulling her into an embrace. She buried her face in his chest, and his fingers combed through her golden hair.

"Now, tell me," he ordered. "What do you see? What do you hear?"

"They're telling me . . ." she paused as if her train of thought was cut off by something, "to join them. Their eyes . . . they're gone. They have blood all over their clothes. It's like in the dreams, but they're no longer just . . ."

"Dreams," Chrollo finished, tightening his embrace. "Are they still talking to you?"

"Yes."

"How loud are they?"

"Just whispers."

So, he wasn't close enough yet. Her hands grabbed fistfuls of his pristine, white shirt. Chrollo's went down to her back and rubbed it gently.

"It's going to be okay," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "Calm down. They can't hurt you. Trust me."

"Is this," she started, looking up at him with suddenly curious eyes, "your brother's doing as well?"

"Yes," he answered, honestly. Curious eyes turned dark with rage.

"How dare he use my clansmen against me," she whispered, voice low with fury. "I'll make him burn in hell! Mark my words!"

Well, that escalated quickly.

She turned back to him. "Do you know where he is?" Her voice was only slightly too excited for him. Adorable, but a bit too . . . excited at the prospect of murdering someone.

"You're not going to kill him," he said, matter-of-factly.

"But -"

"No buts. Besides, I don't know where he is. No one does."

Kurapika visibly deflated. Again, this was rather disconcerting. Perhaps, the voices were really getting to her. Before, she just had to worry about the nightmares, but now that those nightmares had seeped into her waking life. It must be quite taxing on her, especially with the cold coupled with it.

"I do know the man he sent to give you these visions is nearby," he offered. "He's an old friend of the family."

Silence.

"What?"

"Your family's messed up."

He knew that quite well.

. . .

She had told him she was fine, but still, having her entire family around her, pleading with her to join them, come with them, live with them. Happy. Together. It was difficult to say no.

"Kurapika," her mother's voice reached the younger blonde. Her eyes were intact and golden brown. She smiled and reached out to touch her cheek. And Kurapika could almost feel it. It felt like the wind, a small cool breeze.

 _'Ignore them,'_ she told herself. And she tried. She looked past her mother's golden hair and sweet smile, so much like the one, she'd give her whenever she was proud of her.

"You've done enough," her mother continued. "Come with me. You'll be happy with us. We'll be happy together again. You and Pairo can play together again like you used to. Read those books you love so much, explore distant worlds. You can keep your promise to him. You can have it all back. Just come with me."

 _'It's not real. It's not real. It's not real.'_

"I'd rather live," she replied, staring her mother in the eye. And then they were gone. Her eyes were replaced by empty, bloody sockets, and the blood trailed down her face like tears.

"It's your fault," her mother said, sounding so kind despite her harsh words. "Your fault that we're dead right now. If you hadn't broken the rules, we'd still be happy together in this world. Now we can be happy in another. So come with me. Because I love you. Because I'm your mother."

"You are not my mother," Kurapika hissed, knuckles white as her folded fingers tightened.

"Don't you want to be happy with us," her mother asked, voice dripping with encouragement. She tried to touch her shoulder, but Kurapika jerked away.

"Stop!" she almost yelled, and that was when she felt his arms wrap around her. Chrollo sat next to the blonde on the floor, hand stroking her hair once more. He shushed her and kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear what she already knew.

And in his arms, she allowed herself a little bit of doubt into her mind.

Oh God, could she really do this?

"He's not all he seems to be either," her mother continued, smiling almost pitifully over Chrollo's shoulder. She was leaning down, like how she did when she wanted to tell her a secret. "And deep inside, you know it too."

Kurapika dismissed the thought, and buried herself in Chrollo's chest, listening to his heartbeat and hoping the voices whispering in her ears would disappear soon.

. . .

 **Next On NAPP!:**

 **Chrollo responds to his brother's move.**

 **(A/N: I don't know how to write sad/dramatic things. Tell me how I did. I hope the first part of the chapter did enough to keep the sadness from being too overwhelming.)**

 **Question of the Day: What's Chrollo's move?**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Glad you liked it so much. I'm trying to escalate their relationship a bit before Kurapika leaves. And then she finds out he's the leader of the Phantom Troupe. Haha, I'm a terrible person. Don't worry, I'm planning on a happy ending. It'll just take a while to get there. Yeah, Chrollo really can't keep his hands to himself. He tries to, though. Fails, but tries. Wait till he finds out about Kurapika's hatsu. Gon would be good at Psychology. And I didn't even think about fashion for Killua, but it totally makes sense given his amazing wardrobe. Imagine a mini KuroKura. That kid's gonna be such a badass. Oh, Chrollo is a closet pervert, it just happens to be a great distraction for Kurapika. Kurapika isn't going to learn about Chrollo's job until the sequel. And you should be scared of Chrollo's brother. Chrollo didn't just decide to be a psycho one day. I always love reading your reviews. They make me super happy and motivated. I think I'm gonna dedicate the last chapters to you because you're so awesome.**

 **Guest: Man, that's even better than my idea. I praise thee, my friend. Unfortunately, the main goal of the villain is to kill her as soon as he can, but he can't just do it directly for reasons unknown to you all yet. I hope there's enough angst in this climax as well. Till 4 am? That's awesome. I'm glad you liked it. Chain pair moments make you squeal, huh? Wait until the second sequel. Neon's crush is really important to her development. She's usually really apathetic but with Kurapika's influence, she'll start to gain a bit more compassion. Closet perv Chrollo is probably going to show up again because he's totally shameless and loves Kurapika. Bless you, for this review, reviewer. I hope you liked this chapter. And I don't know if Kurapika would be able to resist. Maybe her love for Chrollo and her friends will win her over eventually.**

 **MedusaLegend: As you can see, they kind of are. Just, not in the way most people seem to think. They're probably playful like Chrollo and studious like Kurapika. Maybe slightly psychopathic. Probably ridiculously powerful. They would have great role models for their love lives. I mean, Chrollo would probably treat Kurapika like she's the most amazing person he's ever laid eyes on. Which she is. What an absurdly powerful family. And about the brother . . . let's just say he's got reasons, and they're really creepy. And nah, he's gonna try to attack Kurapika from the inside and poison her mind. You know, classic psychopathic stuff. Thank you so, so, so much for reviewing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: I wanted to thank you all for following NAPP thus far. It means so much, honestly. I hope you liked this chapter.**


	33. Can't let her go

**Disclaimer: Hunter x Hunter does not belong to me.**

 **Chapter 33: Can't let her go**

She could put on a good show, he'd give her that. Her gestures, her eyes, her voice: everything seemed so perfectly normal. But then there were moments where she'd get distracted by seemingly nothing, even if for a few seconds. Times when her hands shook, or clenched, or fell limp at her sides. Times where her face fell and words seemed to catch in her throat.

She was breaking apart on the inside. As hard as she tried, treating this as a nightmare wasn't possible. The voices were ubiquitous, the corpses of her fallen comrades followed her everywhere. And when she thought he wasn't watching, she finally got rid of the mask and talked to them.

How long had it been since the first vision? Over a month now. Kurapika had refused to stay home until it passed but agreed to let at least one person stay by her side at all times. Probably because she wanted a living anchor to the real world.

A month. The longest his brother had ever forced him to stay in that state was a year and a half, and that had been when he'd tried to resist his order to go through with the Kurta massacre. His visions had mostly come in the form of his fellow Troupe members and Kurapika herself. In the end, his brother gave up and simply put the order in his head through nen. No one could resist a direct order from his brother, but thankfully, it could only be used once.

That man really had been a thorn in his side since the beginning. And even now, when Chrollo had become the leader of one of the most successful and infamous bands of thieves, he still hounded him like nothing had changed.

He wouldn't let her go. He wouldn't let him take her.

"Heyo, Danchou!" Shalnark greeted, this time walking into the office alone. Chrollo tore himself out of his past. "You have another mission for us?"

Oh, he did. The voices had gotten loud enough that it was almost like they were speaking directly to her instead of the hushed whispers from before. That meant Likon was at least in a five-mile radius of the school.

"I want you to find Likon."

. . .

"Get him to lift his nen by any means necessary. Then, kill him and anyone who stands in your way. If you see Danchou's brother, you are to kill him as well," Shalnark repeated his Danchou's orders to the rest of the Troupe members that had come with him. Phinks sat on the couch of Danchou's now rarely used apartment. Feitan stood in the kitchen cooking up some pancakes - he was strangely skilled in the culinary arts, though reaching the stove was a bit of a challenge. Phinks once made the mistake of making fun of his hobby. He ended up in the hospital for two weeks due to food poisoning. He'd complained to Danchou for the three weeks after he got discharged from the hospital, and Danchou just seemed to think it was hilarious. He did ask Feitan to refrain from sneaking in any more Deadly Nightshade in their food, though, so Phinks consider it his victory.

Machi and Paku were there too, sitting on the couch next to Phinks and looking like they were already planning their plots to kill Likon. Everyone else had to stay behind since their skill sets seemed unnecessary, or in Uvo's and Franklin's cases, they were just too freaking scary.

"Man, Likon must've messed up big time," Phinks commented, rubbing the back of his head. "What'd he do?"

"Ah," Shalnark said, almost laughing when he thought about Danchou's reasoning. "He's messing with his girlfriend."

Phinks almost choked on air.

"What? Danchou has a girlfriend! Since when?" he asked.

"Phinks, you sound like a jealous girl with a crush," Shalnark teased.

"He's very feminine," Feitan snickered.

"Oh, shut up. Well, is she at least good-looking?" Phinks asked. Machi and Paku rolled their eyes at his comment. Of course, he'd ask that.

Shalnark slipped his phone out of his pocket, and then shoved it into Phinks' face. "See for yourself."

Phinks whistled, and Shalnark was suddenly really happy Danchou wasn't here right now. "Man, Danchou knows how to pick 'em. She's cute."

Machi hit him over the head.

"What was that for?"

"Don't gawk at Danchou's girl like that."

Feitan snickered some more.

. . .

"Kurapika," Pairo called again, smiling as he reached out to take her hand. It just felt like a soft breeze as usual. "Come with me?"

She ignored him, keeping her eyes ahead.

"We can be happy again. You can get rid of all the pain."

She didn't respond, though it was difficult not to listen.

"We promised. We promised we'd always be together. We'd see the world together. You'd fix my eyes. Now we can be together. In another world."

"Kurapika," Gon's voice reached her, finally. It was getting harder to hear anyone else. The younger girl held onto her other arm, the arm that didn't have Pairo hanging off it. "Can you hear me?"

Kurapika turned to her and smiled. "Yes. I just got a bit distracted."

Gon's forehead scrunched up in concern.

"Look," Pairo said, pointing to the lake she passed by every day and never even considered. "Isn't it pretty?" He pulled on her hand, but it refused to move, and his just fell through hers. "Let's go, Kurapika. Let's go swim in the lake."

"Kurapika," Gon pulled on her arm, bringing her back, tugging her down. "What are they telling you?"

Kurapika shook her head, golden hair flying around her. "It doesn't matter. It's not real. C'mon, Gon. We'll be late."

"But Kurapika," Pairo complained, tears filling his blind, coffee eyes. "We need to go to the lake."

"The lake," she repeated, almost in a trance.

"What?" Gon asked, eyes wide and head tilted to the side.

"Oh," Kurapika said, panicking slightly as she realized the implication of her words. "The lake. It's thawed."

"Ah," Gon said, following Kurapika's gaze. "Aunt Mito always said that once the water thaws, Spring is here. Everything's coming back to life."

"Everything's coming back to life," Kurapika murmured, eyes still fixed on the lake. Her reverie was broken by a hand messing up her hair. "Ah, hey! Chrollo!"

"Happy Birthday, kid," he said.

"Huh?" Kurapika asked, flattening out her golden locks. Chrollo stood there with a tender smile on his face. She felt her cheeks redden, as he dangled a gold necklace in front of her. "No."

"Yes." He unclasping the necklace, walking behind her, and locking it in around her neck.

"You know I hate presents," she complained, looking distastefully at the piece of jewelry. Not because it wasn't pretty because Chrollo had surprisingly good taste in this sort of thing. No, it was because it looked ridiculously expensive and she _really_ didn't like presents. Were those real rubies she detected? And the chain was definitely made of real silver.

"And you know I like to spoil you from time to time," he replied, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "How are you doing?"

Kurapika smiled, but the pain in her eyes was clear. "It's just Pairo today. I think he's trying to drown me." The man in front of her grimaced.

"I wish you didn't say that so casually, but I suppose it can't be helped," he sighed, exasperatedly. "I suppose this is better than having you panic."

Kurapika had already turned her attention back to the necklace and started fiddling with it a bit. She inspected it carefully. Twenty million, no, thirty million jenny. Great, she'd never be able to pay him back. "How much did you pay for it. Tell me honestly."

"Not as much as you probably think," he said, a small secretive smirk playing on his lips. She crossed her arms and smiled back with faux sweetness.

"Don't be coy, tell me," she demanded. "I need to pay you back. I'm not just going t-"

He placed a finger to her lips to silence her, slipping his other hand under her chin. "You clearly don't understand the concept of a present." The man sneaked up behind her and whispered, "It's free," in her ear. She looked at him, unimpressed, even as his arms circled her waist.

"Get off," she ordered.

"Hmm, no. Consider this your payment," he answered, nuzzling her neck. The woman pursed her lips, her brain threw its hands up in the air, and she let herself lean against him.

"He's hiding something," Pairo said, and she sunk deeper into Chrollo's arms. His head shifted, so now he was nuzzling her hair. "You know he is. Have you ever wondered if he came back to the village five years later? Because he did. Just like he promised. And then he killed every last person there."

Lies.

"Your protector here is the very person you've been seeking to seal down in the depths of hell," Pairo continued, not sounding much like Pairo at all. "And now you let him touch you so casually. The hand that gouged out the eyes of our people."

Her hand clenched around Chrollo's, nails digging in as she ignored the fake Pairo's taunts. The man didn't seem to feel much, but his head shifted anyway.

"Kurapika," he called, "ignore them."

She dipped her head and took a deep breath. "Sorry. I should go." The blonde unraveled herself from his arms. Everything that came out of those visions' mouths was a lie. Still, the mental image had been placed. The idea of Chrollo leading the massacre with murder written on his face.

"Ku-ra-pika," he annunciated, pulling her back. "If you let their words linger they're going to take over. Stop hiding things and tell me what they're saying."

Oh, what the hell? What could it hurt?

"They're telling me that you killed them," she blurted. Surprise crossed his face for a split second, but then all emotion seemed to drain from his face.

"Kurapika," he reached for her, cupping her pale face. "It's not true. You know that, right? I'd never hurt you or anyone you cared for."

Kurapika nodded slowly, then faster as she gained confidence in her response. That was right. This was Chrollo. He'd never . . . do that. Would he? He wouldn't. _Are you sure?_

She looked him in the eyes. So gentle, so warm. A murderer wouldn't be capable of something like that. Especially not a man who massacred the very people she was a part of. But then there were signs. Signs in those dark eyes, in his expression, the way his lips curved down slightly. It was like he was trying to fool her.

Which was ridiculous because there was nothing he needed to hide, right?

The pendant around her neck suddenly felt cold.

His lips pressed against her forehead. "I've kept you too long. Go to class now. I'll see you later. We'll talk then."

Class? Oh shit, she still had class! She twirled around to face the large clock on one of the school's towers. The man behind her chuckled.

"You've got ninety seconds," Chrollo informed. "If you run really fast, you might make it."

The woman took off, and Pairo ran after her.

"He's your enemy." She cut him off.

"Oh, shut up!"

. . .

So, he was planning on making her estrange him first, and then killing her once he was out of the picture. It was a great plan in essence, but he should know that just because she hated him didn't mean he wouldn't protect her. He'd keep her alive. And that was all that mattered.

His phone rang.

"Heyo, Danchou," Shalnark greeted, cheerfully. "We found him."

That was faster than expected.

"There's just one problem," Shalnark said, sounding a bit nervous. And Chrollo raised an eyebrow in curiosity. How bad could it be?

"What is it?"

"He's already dead."

He almost rolled his eyes. Of course, he'd kill him before they could get to him. Likon was deathly loyal to his brother, to the point of it being creepy. Of course, his Nen would get stronger after death. That sure threw a wrench in the whole torture-and-then-kill plan, but Chrollo had planned for this.

"Start searching for a nen exorcist immediately," Chrollo ordered, twirling a pen between his fingers.

"Got it, Danchou!" He hung up, and Chrollo leaned back in his chair and threw the phone on the desk. How long would it take to find a Nen exorcist? Waiting by the sidelines was a lot more stressful than he'd expected, but he needed to stay with Kurapika for now. And steer her in the right direction.

. . .

 _"Just steer her away from the dorms,"_ Killua had said, but Neon wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to manage that. Kurapika wasn't the type to get easily distracted.

"So, what did you need my help with?" Kurapika asked, sitting down next to her at one of the many study tables in the library.

Neon felt the panic set in. What _did_ she need help in? Everything? Nothing? What if she thought she was stupid? She should've asked her if she could help her out with a project or something. God, she was stupid.

"Um, chemistry?" she said, almost uncertainly.

Kurapika smiled, "you're going to have to be more specific. I can't teach you a year's worth of chemistry. Pick one."

Neon blushed and dug inside her brain to bring out whatever they were learning in Chemistry. "Le Chandelier's Principle."

Kurapika chuckled and it was warm and sweet and not at all mocking like some people's. "Le Chatelier's Principle, it is. Let's see." She disappeared in between the bookshelves, and then came back with a blue book with an atom symbol on it. The smile had flickered of her face and her eyes were no longer laughing. Neon wondered what had happened in the few seconds it took for her to find that book.

The smile flickered back into place when she sat down again, this time across from her, but her eyes were still in turmoil.

"Chemical equilibrium," she said, helpfully, struggling to stay cheerful, and it was almost painful to watch, "by William J. Kingsley. His books are by far the best when you're seeking a straightforward explanation."

Neon put the worry building up inside her aside, tried not to focus on the fact that Kurapika looked beautiful no matter what her expression was, and attempted to listen to Kurapika's lesson on chemical equilibrium.

. . .

Kurapika, as it turned out, was a brilliant teacher. Calm, encouraging, patient, and flexible. Not to mention fun and witty. Intelligence seemed to seep from every pore, and it was hard not to hang on her every word.

Neon wasn't sure why she'd ever thought Kurapika might actually give her the time of day. She was amazing, and Neon was just a spoiled brat with a rich father.

"You learn fast, Neon," Kurapika praised, closing the book. "Do you need any help with anything else?"

Neon glanced at the clock. She had ten minutes left. Biting her lip, she shook her head. She didn't want to spend the whole day showing off how incompetent she was. This might be her only chance.

There she goes again, being all hopeful.

"Do you think we could go on a walk?" Neon asked, sheepishly. A walk? That was so stupid. She'd never want to go on a walk.

"Okay."

This was terrible. Not only did she probably think she was stupid, but now she thought she was boring as well. Wait, what?

"Really?" Neon asked, doubt dripping from her voice.

"Sure, you're not bad company," Kurapika answered, picking up her black jacket and putting it on. Black suited the blonde, really. Brown eyes landed on her, questioningly. "You coming?"

"Oh!" she said, standing up a bit too quickly. "Yes! Yes! Sorry." Neon let out a nervous laugh. Kurapika gave her a strange look, and Neon was now certain she thought she was an idiot, but then she just laughed a bit.

"C'mon."

. . .

This was practically a date! Neon shook her head. Not a date. She was just a distraction for Kurapika. Kurapika, who was now gazing up at the sky as they sat by one of the marble fountains. It was like she was purposely ignoring everything else.

"So, are you guys really taking the Hunter Exam this year?" Neon asked. Kurapika glanced at her for a few seconds, before turning back to study the clouds. She nodded.

Neon gazed down at her hands, now resting on her lap. She suddenly wondered if her clothes were fine. It was better than that uniform they all had to wear. Her daddy had made sure she wasn't forced to wear that fashion crisis. Still, was this sun dress really the best thing to wear at a moment like this? What was this anyway? Shit, the conversation. She needed to say something.

"What are you going to do after you get it?"

Kurapika didn't even look at her, just stared at the sky blankly. "Probably look for a job to reach my goals."

Was she being too nosy? Maybe she should stop. No, one more question.

"What kind of job?" she asked, as casually as possible.

"A bodyguard position, most likely. I don't see it working out otherwise," Kurapika answered, eyes still focused on the sky. And for a second, Neon could swear there was red among her black irises. Must be a trick of the light.

Wait, a bodyguard?

Three thoughts entered her head almost simultaneously. The first was: a bodyguard position sounded really dangerous. The second came as an image of Kurapika in a suit, and she stored that away for later. No time for Kurapikas in suits. The third, and quite possibly the most important, was that her daddy needed new bodyguards.

"You could come work for us?" she said, perhaps sounding a little too excited.

"Excuse me?" Ah, did that sound creepy? It probably was. Oh dear. Neon really needed to watch her mouth.

"No, I mean, my father runs a hotel chain and has a lot of enemies and I think he'd totally let you be a bodyguard if you got a bodyguard!" Neon chattered, feeling like her heart could burst.

The clock suddenly struck six o'clock. Oh shit. She was late. Well, Kurapika was late. No, it was more like they were both late.

She grabbed her hand and started pulling her across the lawn.

. . .

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" they all shouted, save Chrollo because he didn't shout. Kurapika stood stock still for a while as the confetti and streamers fell to the ground. Neon couldn't see her expression, but she could tell she was tense.

"Wow," Kurapika suddenly said, though her voice was a bit lacking in the enthusiasm department. "You guys really went all out, huh? Thank you!"

Biscuit carried the younger blonde away, happily. Neon stood awkwardly and wondered if this would be a good time to leave, but then Gon grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. Alright, so now she was part of their crazy apartment life as well.

. . .

The party was rather cozy, like a family get together. Kurapika got a bunch of cute presents, the cake tasted deliciously homemade, and the conversation was odd as usual. But, over time Neon noticed something was missing, and at around nine o'clock in the evening she figured it out.

Kurapika was gone.

Now, if she had looked around and noticed that Kurapika wasn't the only one missing, she might've put together the pieces and gave up her search before it even started, but she didn't. So, she slipped out of the party while Killua was distracting Gon, and decided to explore a little. All the bedrooms were in a neat line, so it wasn't too hard to find Kurapika's bedroom towards the end of the hall.

How exactly did she know it was Kurapika's bedroom?

Well, she gathered the blonde wouldn't be so disrespectful as to have a make out session in someone else's room. Unless this was Mr. Lucilfer's room. In which case, that made perfect sense.

Neon quickly dodged back behind the wall, more shocked than sad for now. And somehow, she wanted to see more. To confirm they really were kissing, and not just . . . talking with their lips really, really close to one another.

So she looked back and hoped they didn't notice. Sure enough, one of Mr. Lucilfer's hands were around her waist, pressing him close to his probably very well-sculpted body. The other, Neon caught in the blonde's hair, beckoning her head back so he could get a better angle. Kurapika's arms were both wrapped around his neck.

The blue-haired girl turned away again. What was she doing? Staring at two young adults sharing a lip lock.

"Are you going already, Neon?" Gon asked, concerned.

The girl turned back with a forced, tearful smile. "Yeah. Fine. I just feel tired, so I'll just be heading back."

"But it's -"

Neon shut the door before she could even get another word out. And for the first time in a long time, she took the stairs. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, and her throat became thick. She opened the door leading outside, telling herself that she just had to get across the courtyard to her own dorm and then she'd be free to cry her eyes out.

But her path was blocked. Blocked by torrential rainfall, and as she watched the rain color the gray pavement, she felt the dam within her break. A sob escaped her mouth, and she clasped a hand on it, begging it to be quiet. Tears fell and mingled with the rain, and she sank down into a crouch and sat down on the steps even though they were probably filthy and her sundress was getting soaked.

She knew this would happen, so why did it feel like her heart had completely shattered on the pavement and mixed in with the rain and tears and dirt.

How could something so small hurt so much?

. . .

Kurapika sighed a breath of relief as she collapsed on her bed.

"You could at least try to be happy," Chrollo chastised, standing in the doorway. This was probably the first time she'd seen him in casual clothing. He wore a black, long-sleeved v-neck that was much form-fitting than his suits, and black slacks like usual. "Those kids worked hard."

"I know," she said, guilt filling her at the thought. "It's just the visions."

"Annoying, aren't they?" He entered the room, face illuminated by the moonbeams streaming through the open window.

"They're horrible," she amended, massaging the bridge of her nose with her thumb and finger. "You talk about it like you've experienced it a few times."

"That's because I have," he answered, picking up a box-like thing from the study desk beside him she couldn't quite see in the dim light.

She sat up in bed. "You have?"

"Hmm," he hummed like he usually did when he wasn't completely focused on her words. "My brother forced me into it."

"How often?" she asked, still staring up at him, fury and concern mixed into those black-covered scarlet eyes.

"As often as I fought," he answered, sitting beside her.

"How often did you fight?" she asked, eyes insistent, twisting around so her upper torso faced him. Her hand fell on his, perhaps by accident. And her lips parted slightly out of reflex. As usual, the moonlight fit her perfectly, caressing her almost lovingly. The silvery blouse only added to the effect.

"As often as I could," he answered, pushing a lock of golden hair behind her ear, and she felt like there was more to those words than he let on. She let it go though. He, unlike her, did not like to dwell in the past, and she knew it too.

The man finally decided to take out the mystery box.

"What's this?" she asked, immediately intrigued by the odd carvings all over it.

"Remember those puzzle cubes I told you about back in the Village?" he asked. She immediately understood. Her black eyes fell back on the box with even more fascination.

"So, these are the unbreakable puzzle cubes," she said, inspecting the carvings and falling back on the bed. "How long did it take you to open it?"

"About two days of sheer concentration. It's an incredibly effective distractor," he said, but then his face broke into a sly smirk as he put his hands on either side of her head and looking down at her from his position above. "But of course, not as effective as me."

Apparently, equally effective, because Kurapika was already completely absorbed in solving it. Her forehead crinkled in concentration, the wheels of her mind churning away. She looked absolutely adorable, as well as completely unaffected.

Chrollo sighed, woefully, turning over and landing on his back beside her, their arms almost touching. Immunity to seduction. Check. He shouldn't have expected anything less.

The young man felt something bump against his arm. He looked over to his side to see a blonde head of hair and a pretty face tucked into the curve of his neck, a small smile played on her pink lips. Their arms were touching now, and he felt her shift her weight slightly closer to him.

Not so immune, after all.

An hour passed, and they remained on the bed though their positions had changed. Her head still lay in the crook of his neck and their arms were still touching, but Kurapika had turned on her side and was holding the cube at arm's length. She'd taken to glaring at it instead of actually trying to solve it.

"I give up," she muttered, dropping the cube on the bed and then letting her arms go limp on his muscular torso. "Can you give me a hint, at least?"

He shook his head, and she could tell he was trying not to laugh.

"Oh sure, laugh at my suffering," she muttered, propping herself up on her elbow and glaring down at him with a pretty pout on her face. He smiled and ran a thumb over her lower lip. Which enticed a rather spectacular blush from the woman. So now she decided to respond to his advances? His hand went to the back of her neck and started pulling her down, she allowed herself to move closer, eyes fluttering closed.

And then the rain started. Kurapika immediately picked herself up, blushing still, and walked over to close the window. When she turned back, a pair of lips pressed gently against her's, and an arm made its way around her waist. Her breath hitched for a second, and then she melted into him, returning his kiss and his embrace.

"Enemy," Pairo's voice whispered in her ear, but that served to only make her tighten her grip and deepen the kiss, changing the angle of her face to allow for better access. "Enemy, Kurapika. He doesn't deserve your love. He killed us."

Bastard, he just assumed that she loved Chrollo without any real evidence to back it up.

"Kill him," he whispered. No, they whispered. Suddenly, it wasn't just her, Pairo, and Chrollo. No, her entire family was there. "Kill him, Kurapika. Fulfill your mission."

She kissed him harder, and she wasn't sure why. It almost felt like she was trying to convince herself. And as she was bombarded by visions of Chrollo slaying her comrades, her kisses became more fervent and feverish, almost hysterical. At some point, they fell back on the bed, and she leaned down to kiss him again, but he cupped her face and gazed up at her with a concerned look lighting up his glassy black eyes.

"Kurapika, what's wrong?" he asked, bringing her up into a sitting position.

"I -" she gasped in pain, as a throbbing sensation entered her head and spread. And this time when she opened her eyes, she was no longer in her room.

"Where?" she asked no one in particular. It looked like the forest in her village.

"Your memories," a voice answered, and Pairo stepped out of the shadows. But it wasn't Pairo. He looked older. No, he looked the exact same age as her. His voice was different too.

"I already have all my memories," she said, crossing her arms. Did he expect to convince with an older version of Pairo. He probably thought she'd had a crush on him as a child. Everyone else thought so. It was quite vexing. They made it seem like a girl and boy couldn't be friends. Not that adult Pairo wasn't handsome, he was. He was also not real.

"And what makes think he'd let you see them all?" Pairo asked, almost mocking her. "For all your smarts, you really are naive. Or is that boy you once knew what is keeping you from realizing the truth: He's lying to you, Kurapika. He's the one you've been seeking to annihilate. It's all just a facade. Him caring for you."

Kurapika raised an elegant eyebrow to show how utterly unimpressed she was by his theatrics. His lies might've been more compelling if he looked like the Pairo she knew.

"Don't believe me?" he asked, cocking his head to the side as he sat down on the ground cross-legged. Kurapika gave him one sugary smile and a shake of the head. "Then see for yourself."

He gestured to a grove of trees she recognized as the patch that grew right next to the elder's house. There, peering from behind a bush at the fiery scene beyond was a little blonde girl with red eyes. Kurapika recognized her immediately. It was her as the young thirteen year old who got her world thrown out the window and then run over by a truck. She came closer, her legs moving of their own accord. Mini Kurapika's eyes were wide as she observed her fellow clansmen get slaughtered, and then they became large red saucers as she saw her own father be struck down by a young, dark-haired man. He faced her, dark eyes seeming to stare her down. The girl fell back on her hands, then scurried up and ran into the dense forest. Kurapika stayed though, her face blank.

"You see, the one who has been lying to you this whole time is that man," Pairo spat the last word out like it was a curse word. "And now he's within your reach. Kill him."

"That," she said, eyes still surveying the area, "was the worst reenactment I've ever seen."

"What?" Pairo asked, seemingly feeling that this was completely anti-climactic.

Kurapika turned back to him, a confident little smirk on her lips. "First of all, do you really think that if I'd been hiding behind those bushes, that the Phantom Troupe wouldn't have noticed? _The_ Phantom Troupe. The only reason I'm still alive is because I was gone when it happened. Second, these trees are supposed to be a spruce variety, not a fir. We're in Lukso province, and firs don't grow well here. And third, my father was wearing green when I buried him, not this hideous shade of yellow." She inhaled. She wasn't used to talking so much in just one breath.

"What are you?" the man asked, incredulously.

Kurapika scowled, "me? I'm sorry, but aren't you the one who's been torturing a young woman with her past for the last month? Yeah, safe to say, I have some anger built up. Especially, when you're using Pairo to manipulate me. Where's your humanity? Haven't you ever lost someone?"

"Well." The Pairo puppet suddenly turned solemn. "I did lose my master a few days ago."

"Your master?" Kurapika asked, anger still writhing in her. She desperately wanted to hit the puppet with one of the twigs on the ground, but he looked depressed so she let the feeling slide to the back of her mind.

"Master Likon, I was sent by him to make you, y'know, die," he said, a bit awkwardly. "Nothing personal. It's just business. I never expected him to die himself, though. After that, I became stronger. I even got my own personality, see!"

"Yes, yes, it's wonderful," Kurapika said, impatiently. "Likon. Why does he want to kill me?"

"Oh, that's because of Master Roro."

"Roro?"

"Roro Lucilfer."

"Oh, Chrollo's brother," Kurapika gathered, sitting down beside Pairo on the grass. He looked shocked to see her actually interested.

"Well, Master Roro has a bit of a little brother complex. He thinks his little brother, Chrollo, deserves nothing but the best. But because of this, he also has high expectations and often ends up, well . . ."

"Well?"

"Destroying everything he loves?" Pairo said, uncertainly, smiling a bit too much. "And often having him play some part in that?"

"What a freak."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Pairo suddenly turned into a gossiping girl. "I kept telling Master Likon that, but he idolized him. He'd do anything for Master Roro."

"So," Kurapika started, "you admit Chrollo does care for me?"

"Of course!" Pairo said, sounding rather adamant about it. "He loves you lots! More than anyone, I know it! That's why Master Roro wants you gone so bad. Mister Chrollo is never as sweet as he is around you. Master Roro thinks that's a weakness, and that you could never love him back!"

"Thank you!" Kurapika raised arms to the heavens and then stood up, brushing herself off. "Now, if you'd excuse me. I'd like to go back to my own world, and apologize for my behavior."

"Oh, about that," Pairo said, tapping his fingers together nervously. "You see. Once you go back, that vision will become an actual part of your memory. This conversation will also be erased."

"What?" she hissed, eyes wide with a mix of emotions even she couldn't completely place. Her hands went to claw through her face and hair, and when she brought them down she realized they were becoming paler, translucent almost.

"You're waking up," Pairo informed. "Soon, you'll be back in your word. In your Mister Chrollo's arms, and you're going to want to kill him."

Which was exactly what this Roro person wanted. She couldn't let him, no, she couldn't let herself be sent back.

"Pairo," she said, turning back to the ghost of her old friend, "you brought me here. Keep me from going back."

"I can't, Miss," he apologized, and his face broke, guilt practically oozing from him. "I can't disobey direct orders. I'm sorry, but you're on your own in this one."

Her jaw clenched. Was she really about to do this? For Chrollo. This was all to help Chrollo, and get them one step closer to killing his psycho brother.

"Please," and her voice sounded perfectly pleading as she placed her translucent hands on his shoulders. "Pairo, please. I can't lose anyone else. I've already had my entire family utterly destroyed. Please, don't make me go back."

"It's not like you'll be able to kill him. In fact, Roro is hoping he'll kill you instead," Pairo reasoned, patting her arm reassuringly.

"That is hardly the point here," Kurapika sighed. Personality, he might have possessed, but it was clearly the personality of a child. He wasn't going to let her stay. He didn't understand why she couldn't go to Chrollo with the hatred she bore for the Spider directed entirely at him.

She'd just have to keep the killing urges at bay then.

Kurapika felt herself be dragged back to the waking world.

And then. The feeling stopped.

. . .

Chrollo gripped her tighter, mind racing, as he studied the young woman in his arms. Her body was completely limp as if she was simply asleep, but he knew better than to buy that. Someone had dragged her down into this sleep. Her face was blank, so it wasn't a nightmare. But before she collapsed, she'd been in so much pain. And before that, those kisses, those were the kisses of someone desperate to prove a point.

For a second, Chrollo placed himself in his brother's shoes. What would be the best course to take if he wanted to kill someone like Kurapika? Well, he was probably getting impatient with his inability to off her. He also underestimated both Kurapika and Chrollo's prioritization of her life.

He'd give her a false memory to finally convince her he killed her clan. To draw them apart, and finally get rid of Kurapika.

She started to wriggle in his arms, ready to wake up, and he made a split second decision. He brought out his Bandit's Secret and turned to the page that put the victim in a comatose state. It was an ability he rarely used since he didn't have much use for a sleeping person. Usually, he killed everyone in his path. If the occasion called for it though. For example, if he needed someone with a certain ability to stay alive, a coma was the best option. Or if he needed to keep his girlfriend-for-all-intents-and-purposes asleep so she didn't possibly want to kill him when she woke up.

She settled down again, back into a deep sleep, and Chrollo wondered how long he'd have to keep her in that state before they found a nen exorcist.

. . .

 **Next On NAPP!:**

 **Leorio makes himself useful, and the hunt for the nen exorcist continues.**

 **(A/N: Yes, I am going to post a new chapter everyday until the end. I might skip this weekend because I'm going on a trip. I really wanna keep writing, though : ( Also, RIP Neon's heart. Don't worry, Gon went after her. And, yes, Kurapika's slightly OOC. Give the girl a break, she's allowed to be slightly hysterical when her dead family comes back just to tell her to kill the man she loves. Like, I get it, guys, you don't like him.)**

 **Question of the Day: What was your favorite part of this chapter? It's a long one.**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Aw, thank you. I'm glad I inspire people. The highest honor for a writer, honestly. And yeah, the reason behind Chrollo's psychopathy is mostly due to his brother's brother complex, which will be explained further in the sequel. He's practically an even more extreme version of Illumi who would've actually killed Gon in the most horrible way possible as soon as he heard about Killua's love for her. And make him watch as well. Let's start a club of all the people who want to kill the brother: Chrollo, his twelve Troupe members, Kurapika, Gon, Killua, Leorio, Sweets Dreamer. Man is practically dead already. Yeah, Kurapika's dealt with nightmares for the past six years (cuz she's nineteen now), hallucinations probably just feel like upgraded nightmares to her. She's still affected by them, but for the most part tries to be as rational as she can be. She's also a really good actress. And don't worry, I get that keyboards are suckish. Hope you liked this chapter. Thanks for reviewing. Chapter 33: Dedicated to Sweets Dreamer cuz they're a real trooper. There through thick and thin.**

 **guest: All our minds were in the gutter. They share a room for God's sake. Killua is really sick. I'm glad you liked that imagery. I tried to emphasize the contrast by making her as scary as she could be. In this chapter, there isn't as much of that because Kurapika has already kind of gotten used to it after a month. She's a strong little Kurta, she is. Don't worry, two to three more chapters and it will probably be over. Kurapika still needs to go to York New. And honestly, I don't write horror very well, so I'm probably gonna make a lot of Kurapika's adventures in the Dream World hilarious. Oh, btw, your coma idea got stuck in my head. I hope you don't mind. And yes, Roro totally planned on revealing the truth this way. He just failed miserably, because Kurapika doesn't believe him. There's some fluff in this chapter too. I hope it makes you happy before the angst sets in. I hope you liked this chapter, and thank you, thank you, thank you so much for reviewing. You've always got really awesome theories that I love to read because they make my writing senses tingle.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and this story. Let's stick the landing now. I'll see you next chapter (probably tomorrow).**


	34. Demons? Shiii

**Disclaimer: I don't own HxH**

 **A/N: So, no Hunter x Hunter chapter next week. I'm gonna go and cry my river now until it comes out. Even when he's not on hiatus, we must wait. No one's gonna tell us we're not patient.**

 **Chapter 35: Demons? Shiiiiiiiiiiii**

Kurapika put a hand to her out-of-control heart. It was fine. She was stuck here. The woman glanced at the Pairo look-alike. Stuck here. With that thing.

Well, at least no one's life was in danger.

A roar crushed that one small pro to the whole situation. Kurapika whirled around on her heels to see a very angry-looking lizard thing that was definitely larger than most of the ones in the real world.

"What is that?" she yelled at Pairo, only slightly panicking as the lizard thing got closer. Pairo looked equally terrified, perhaps even more.

"Akuma no yume."

Her eyes widened. Dream demons? They were supposed to be an old folk tale. If this was one of them, she was in trouble.

It wasn't very fast though. Probably because it had short-stubby legs and easily weighed a few tons. He also didn't seem to need speed. He just crushed everything under his feet.

Well, she was not going to just wait for it to come and eat them.

The blonde turned around and ran into the Village, dragging Pairo with her.  
"Where are we going?"

"The armory!"

"Are you insane?" he asked, trying to keep up with her and failing. "You can't kill an Akuma. They're immortal. They'd sooner kill you."

"We don't have to kill it," Kurapika said, breathing a bit labored from running. "We just have to keep running and defend ourselves if necessary." She threw him a spear.

"We!?"

Kurapika smiled at him, but it was a cold curve of the lips that told Pairo she blamed him for their situation. She took the spear away and replaced it with a pair of sheathed swords connected by a chain. "You brought me here, I'm not just going to let you off that easy. We're in this together."

"But . . . I don't know how to fight," he said, voice high with the prospect of pain and suffering at the hands, well, claws, of the Akuma outside.

"When it comes down to it, you're going to do what it takes to survive," Kurapika tried to reassure him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, you're in the guise of a Kurta. We're born fighters."

"You're also all dead," he muttered under his breath, certain she wouldn't hear. He thought wrong. A few seconds later, his back hit the wall of the armory and he felt cold metal at his throat. Shit, she was going to slit his throat! Maybe, he had crossed the line this time, but did he really deserve to die?

"I'll make this short, so listen closely," she said, her voice deadly quiet in the chaos outside. "If you ever speak ill of the Kurta Clan again, I will not be as lenient as I am now. As you clearly possess the mind of a child, I shall let you live. But, step out of line again, and I will kill you and damn the consequences."

Her eyes had turned bright red. They were as beautiful as they were terrifying. And as she peered up at him with that icy Scarlet stare, her humanity seemed compromised.

But then the knife at his throat was gone, and the woman made her way out of the armory.

"This is a warning," she continued. "I'm not trying to threaten you. My temper isn't in my control, so please watch your mouth from now on."

He placed a hand around his throat, rubbing it gently as if to make sure there wasn't some small wound she'd left behind as part of her 'warning'. It seemed fine. He bit his bottom lip, considering his chances of dying if he went with her. In the end, they were far lower than what they would've been if he just stayed behind and let her get killed. He followed her anyway.

. . . Back in the Real World . . .

The four of them watched as Kurapika was strapped to an IV drip. A heart rate and brain wave monitors stood on either side of her.

"Her heart rate's steady for now," the doctor said, checking her report. "You said she just fainted and hasn't woken up since?"

"That's what he said," Leorio answered, taking the role of answering questions.

"Did she have a concussion or similar brain trauma before?" the doctor continued his interview, still flipping through the pages on his clipboard. "She's in very good shape, so I don't see how she could've entered this state otherwise."

"No concussions, doctor," Leorio spoke, respectful to a fault. "She just fainted. I thought she might just be asleep, but then nothing woke her up and I checked for symptoms. No reaction to light from the eyes. No reaction to painful stimuli or sound."

"I see, we'll keep you all updated," the doctor informed, as he wrote some medical jargon in his notes. "It's late now, so it'd be best for you all to head home." The doctor paused, and for a second they thought he wouldn't say anything. But then, "young man. You're a doctor-in-training, yes?"

"Yes, sir," Leorio answered, stiffening under the doctor's analytical gaze. So, this was a true professional looked like. Leorio suddenly felt very small in comparison.

"When are you graduating from Pre-med?" he asked. Leorio's mind raced. Did he think he wasn't cut out for medicine? Did he say something wrong? What happened?

"I-in a year, sir," he stuttered, stumbling over his words in his attempt to not completely freak out. If Kurapika had been awake right now, she'd definitely laugh at him. The thought somehow both annoyed and comforted him.

"I see," he said, looking back down at his clipboard. He pushed some graying hair out of his eyes. "You've got talent. I look forward to working with you someday . . ."

"Ah, Leorio Paladiknight!" Leorio supplied, as his heart soared into the heavens and yelled at him to jump up and down in joy. His mind told him to keep a cool head, however, and a good doctor always used his head over his heart in situations like this.

"Well, Mr. Paladiknight," the doctor continued, looking up and giving him a smile. "I look forward to working with you soon. You'll be a great help, I'm sure."

And then he walked out, and Leorio was alone. Kurapika still lay silent on the hospital bed, and Gon and Killua had already gone back home.

The doctor-in-training looked around, making sure that absolutely no one saw what he was about to do, as a giant grin spread across his face. He threw his fist up in the air.

"YES!" he yelled, then turned to Kurapika's still form. "You hear that Kura? Of course not, you're unconscious, but I'm going to brag anyway! ME! A great help! Not so useless now, am I?"

"My, you are causing a ruckus," a suave, elegant voice remarked. Leorio's head turned almost robotically towards the source. Chrollo stood there, looking less composed than usual: His hair ever so slightly out-of-place, the fingers on his crossed arms tapping impatiently. He must be on the edge of sanity on the inside. Kurapika had fainted on his watch, after all.

Wait a minute.

Kurapika had fainted on Chrollo's watch.

"Hey, Lucilfer," Leorio started. Chrollo said nothing to acknowledge his words. "Did you put her in a coma?"

"And how would I have managed that?" Chrollo asked, walking into the room and sitting down at her bedside. He pushed some golden hair out of her eyes.

"I dunno. Maybe it's your nen power or something?" Leorio said, looking at the man nervously. He wouldn't actually place her in a comatose state, right? He had to know the health implications that came with being in a coma.

"No," Chrollo answered. "It's not."

"Oh, good, I was worried for a second there," Leorio said, noticing that Chrollo had only answered his second question. He guessed it was just Chrollo's cryptic way of answering. There was no way he'd be desperate enough to actually . . .

Then again, Chrollo's morality really was a gray area.

But as he watched the man gazed at her with so much worry mixed in with the gentleness he usually saved for her, he couldn't imagine someone who looked at her like that could do something so risky.  
. . . Three Days Later . . .

"Heyo, Danchou," Shalnark greeted as he held the phone to his ear.

"Shalnark, have you found that Nen exorcist you told me about?" his Danchou asked, and Shalnark laughed at his straightforwardness. Someone's patience was failing him. Had something changed?

"Yup," he chirped, happily, as he and Machi walked up to the door of the exorcist. He knocked three times, taking in the strange, rickety old house. It was decidedly too tall and swayed slightly in the wind. It was also painted pitch black. Some of the windows looked broken as well. This was the house of a skilled nen-remover?

"GO AWAY!" an old, croaky voice shouted. "TOO MANY UNSATISFIED CUSTOMERS! I AM OUT OF BUSINESS, Y'HEAR? I'M DONE SOLVING OTHER PEOPLE'S SHITTY LIVES!"

"Well, you can't say she isn't a lively, old thing," Shalnark said, still smiling as the very annoyed Machi covered her ears. "Miss, we're really in need of your insistence. Could you please come out and talk with us?"

"NO! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME, BRAT? I AIN'T COMIN' OUT EVER! SHOW'S OVER! LAST TIME I EXORCISED SOMEONE, A MOB CAME TO KILL ME! AND THEN I WAS FORCED TO LIVE IN THIS DUSTBIN! DID YOU SEE THAT PAINT?"

They looked at the paint, hands still over their ears to protect their perfect hearing.

"It's chipped?" Shalnark asked. There were a lot of problems with this house. The paint chipping was hardly the worst offense.

"IT'S CHIPPED!" the woman cried in despair. "I KEEP TRYING TO FIX IT, BUT IT JUST KEEPS CHIP-CHIP-CHIP-CHIPPING." Now she was bawling her eyes out, no doubt. "I USED TO BE THE BEST EXORCIST IN TOWN! A PRODIGY! I USED TO HEAL PEOPLE FROM THE WORST NEN CURSES IMAGINABLE! AND-AND-AND NOW, I'M FORCED TO LIVE IN THIS THING IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE BECAUSE EVERYONE THINKS I'M A DEMON SPAWN!"

Couldn't she just have moved to a new city?

"She's not coming out," Machi deadpanned, she gave him the look that said 'we either do this my way, or we go back to Danchou and you tell him all about how much we failed'.

"Alright," he sighed, rubbing the back of his head, smile wavering for once. "Let's do this the hard way."

Machi jumped in through one of the windows. A pouting Shalnark followed her. Why couldn't they ever settle things with words? He coughed at the dust thrown up in the air. The place was absolutely filthy. Cobwebs hung from every corner, crevice, and crack they could. He was sure that the thing crawling on the floor was a centipede. And was that a rat he spotted in the corner. Shalnark had been born in Meteor City, but that didn't mean he was any more accepting of filthiness as the next fellow.

"Where d'you think she is?" Shalnark asked. Machi opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by the sound of frantic footsteps racing up the staircase. The door to the room they were in slammed open, kicking up more dust and revealing an old woman with long, white hair tied up in a bun atop her head. She wore the traditional clothing of the region: a plain, blue dress with a belt around her waist. She was short and stout and otherwise completely ordinary.

At least she would be if she wasn't holding a rifle in her hands. She aimed at him, and he raised his hands in front of him out of instinct. Bullets wouldn't hurt him, of course, but still, it was a rifle. Rifles were intimidating, especially when they're being held by angry old ladies with beady black eyes.

"GET OUT, FILTHY TRESPASSER!" she screamed. "THIS THING'S LOADED!"

Trespasser? Singular? But there were . . .

He looked to his side and saw that Machi had vanished. Nevermind, singular it was. He spotted her again, swinging by a thread from the wall, literally. And then, she fell down and kicked the woman in the back of the neck. The woman collapsed onto the floor, Machi landing behind her with deadly grace.

They just attacked a senior citizen. A new low.

. . . Back In The Dream World . . .

Goddammit.

They'd only been on the run for a few hours. Or at least it felt that way. Time in the Dream World, as Pairo creatively dubbed it, passed differently. She could've been in here for a year and would be none the wiser.

Not the time!

She skidded to a halt and started running back in the direction of the beast that had finally been able to catch one of them. Spoiler alert, it was Pairo.

"Kurapika!" he cried, as the T-rex-like creature swung him around in his claws. Then, the thing tossed him into the air and opened its jaw, ready to devour him. In that moment, Kurapika saw an opening. She jumped onto a tree branch nearest to the monster, pushed herself off, and kicked Pairo out of the way. The blonde herself landed between its eyes. She raised her unsheathed sword over its lidless eye and stabbed. The monster seemed particularly sensitive to eye injuries because the next thing she knew it was reeling its head and losing its balance. She refused to let go, twisting the sword in further until it finally toppled over onto the ground. She rolled onto the forest floor, ripped out the sword, and breaking into a run.

Now, where had she tossed Pairo again?

. . . Back In The Real World . . .

"You're sure she's not secretly dying?" Shalnark asked, nervously, as he looked down at the old woman they were now shoving in the trunk of the car.

Machi threw down the lid, and the exorcist disappeared from view. She turned to Shalnark with an irritated look in her eyes. "Her vitals are fine."

"Yeah, but are you sure she'll be fine. I mean, what if we just put her in a coma?" Shalnark jabbered on anxiously, as the much colder Machi walked around to the passenger's seat.

"Then we'll find someone else," she answered, her voice icy and emotionless. Machi truly was a ruthless Spider, cutting down her prey without hesitation. It would be frightening to watch if it had been anyone else, but Shalnark knew Machi was a huge softie on the inside. She'd do anything to help their Danchou, or the other Spiders, though she preferred not having to show that fact. This extended to the people who the other Spiders cared about, especially Danchou's girlfriend. Machi had indeed taken a liking to her, he could tell. It was probably because she saw a bit of herself in her, or that she seemed to make Danchou happy and that made her happy by association. Whatever the case, Machi was probably one of the nicer Spiders when it came down to it. Perhaps, not as nice as Shalnark, who tried to stay away from violent measures and often tried to get the other, more sadistic Spiders to do the same.

. . . In The Dream World . . .

"You saved my life," Pairo said, a bit breathless as they both collapsed in the shade of the trees. It was daytime now. It had looked like midnight just a few seconds ago. This world was quite strange.

"I don't know about that," Kurapika replied, her breath for once just as labored as his. She stood up again and stretched her hands towards the sky. "I mean, can you even be killed? You're not actually human. You're made of nen."

"Neither are you at the moment," Pairo shot back. Kurapika raised an eyebrow as a cue for a much-needed explanation. "The only thing present here right now is your soul, or conscious mind, whatever floats your boat. And normally, that would mean nothing could hurt your real body outside. Except, the Akuma no Yume don't work that way. If they eat you in your dream, they kill you in real life too."

"You know a lot about this Dream World," Kurapika said, finding it hard to keep the curiosity out of her voice. A world undocumented by books and scrolls. It was absolutely fascinating, and Kurapika couldn't help but want to know more.

Pairo blushed, embarrassed by the compliment. "Well, I have been at this for a few decades."

"A few decades?" Kurapika said, incredulously. She had forgotten that this was not Pairo, not another person running for his life. This was a manifestation of a dead person's Nen who had gained his own mind. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well, my favorite color's blue and I like chocolate ice cream," he answered, a bit sheepish that she seemed so interested.

"Not about you," Kurapika waved the thought away. She gestured to the area around them. "About this world."

"Oh," he said, a bit disheartened. Here he thought she wanted to know more. "Well, everyone's Dream World is different. Since you have a lot of nightmares, your Dream World is a little darker than most. But lately, y'know, before I came in and messed up your whole track record, most of your dreams were becoming a lot more peaceful. So, that's why there aren't trails of blood everywhere."

"I see," she said, storing the information, tucking it away somewhere safe. "How come this was the first time I had Akuma enter my dreams?"

"Oh, that's because you're technically not asleep. At least, not naturally," he explained, playing with the flowers around them, weaving them into a flower crown. "It's easier for Akuma to come into your mind that way. I'm not sure how it works, exactly, but it does."

Kurapika sat there with a visibly forced smile. So, in the end, she would've either played right into this Roro character's hands or risked being eaten by wild Akuma. She didn't know which sounded better.

"Let's keep moving," she announced, getting up. "Do you know if there are any places Akumas can't reach?"

"I hear they hate caves," he answered, unsure if that was helpful.

"Then, we should head for the mountains in the East," Kurapika declared, authority ringing in her voice. "I'd rather stay as far away from those things as possible. Ready?"

"I guess," he said, though he dreaded the thought of more walking.

"By the way," the woman started again. He didn't look at her. "What should I call you?"

"Call me?" he asked, confused, as he twiddled with one of the purple flowers on the crown. It looked like a crocus and was orange in the middle. He'd never admit it, but flower assortment was his guilty pleasure.

"Don't you have a name?" Kurapika moved to tie her hair back into a ponytail. She'd grumbled something about long hair being impractical beforehand, and the took some blades of grass and turned them into a rather sturdy hair tie. He wondered where she'd learned how to make those. "I keep calling you Pairo in my head, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. So, what should I be calling you?"

Pairo chewed his bottom lip as he considered her question. His master had always called him his Dream Puppet. He didn't really like that name. But he'd never really thought about calling himself anything else.

"Call me whatever you want," was his answer. He didn't know what else to say. And somehow, he felt his mood sorrow at his inability to give her a proper answer. He really was just his master's puppet.

"Saffron," she suddenly said, putting a finger to her chin and nodding approvingly while her eyes inspected the starry sky above.

"What?"

"That's what I'll call you," she replied, simply, smiling as the name slipped off her tongue.

"But . . . that's a flower's name." His face scrunched up in distaste. He didn't want to be named after a flower. He was a manly man.

"So?"

"That's so . . . girly," he complained. This earned him a hit to the back of his head. "Ow."

"Don't be sexist. And besides, there's nothing wrong with a little femininity," she lectured, as he massaged his poor, aching head. This woman was so violent. Heck, he wasn't even sure she was a human. She acted more like a Valkyrie or something. Or maybe some kind of evil demon woman.

He pouted, and she rolled her eyes.

"If it makes you feel any better, Saffron is technically gender neutral."

"It doesn't."

"Too bad, Saffy."

"No," he whined. Saffy was even worse than Saffron. This woman was evil. He reevaluated their situation. She _did_ save him from that Akuma. So, she wasn't pure evil, but just really, really mean and scary.

Like a bully.

. . .

 **Next On NAPP!:**

 **Kurapika wakes up and everything has a price.**

 **(A/N: I hope it's not too convoluted. In short, the Akuma are demons that steal into your nightmares, eat you in said nightmares, and then make your heart stop in your actual bodies. Akuma is also demon in Japanese. Not at all a reference to Miraculous Ladybug. Ask me any questions you still have about the Dream World in the comments and I'll answer them tomorrow.)**

 **Question of the Day: What is the price?**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **Sweets Dreamer: Your comment about Kurapika needing more action screen time actually gave me this idea. I wasn't sure what I'd do about her being in the Dream World, but then I was like, why not put her in mortal danger thanks to these really scary dinosaur-like creatures? One more thing I guess I didn't make very clear. Likon is Chrollo's brother's accomplice who manipulates demons, and he's the one who died. Chrollo's brother killed him. Chrollo's brother himself is named Roro and is a total freak, but is also a genius freak. That's not a stupid idea at all. I kind of wish Pairo could come into the Real World. As always, thanks for reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter and the little Phantom Troupe action in it. I put Machi and Shalnark on another mission again. I just feel like they work really well together. Not as a couple per se, but just as friends and partners in crime. Yeah, Chrollo and Kurapika are definitely getting to the more physical side of relationships. I just wanted to show them happy together and in an established relationship. Love your comments.**

 **guest: Hi again! I'm glad you found it funny cuz that was totally the point. Kurapika ain't gonna be fooled that easily. And Kurapika is totally the sass master this chapter. I'm glad you like Pairo, eh, Saffron. BTW, the flower in the flower crown he was talking about was actually a saffron flower, which is why Kurapika called him that. Nah, I'm pretty sure ninety percent of the people reading this and their mom want Kurapika to beat the shit out of him. Kurapika can relate. That man's goin' down. May Illumi and Roro bond over their unrequited brotherly love towards their respective siblings. Yay chain pair fluff. If you squint, you might be able to find some here. Kurapika definitely loves Chrollo. Love is just such a strong word to claim. Yeah, Kurapika in a suit is all Neon could ask for. Thanks so much for reviewing and I hope you liked this chapter. I'm interested to see what you thought.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: Thank you all so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. There's only two left so brace yourself for the big finale. I'm Chocoholic221B and I'll see you next time on NAPP!**


	35. Price

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hunter x Hunter**

 **Chapter 35: Price**

"UNHAND ME, YOU RUFFIANS. I'M GONNA CALL THE COPS ON YOUR ASSES, Y'HEAR!"

Oh dear, Shalnark's headache was starting up again. Perhaps, dragging the woman wasn't the best idea. As soon as they woke her up, she started screaming bloody murder. Did he mention they had been in public? He wouldn't be surprised if the police showed up soon.

"Miss, please listen," Shalnark tried to appease the woman. "We just need you to heal one person and then we'll let you go back home."

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE ANYWAY? SOME SORT OF GANG PEOPLE? WHAT SORT OF SCUM ATTACKS THE ELDERLY?" She had a good pair of lungs, Shalnark could give her that. It was almost as bad as Uvo's scream.

The baby-faced man glanced over at Machi on the other side, who didn't seem bothered by the noise at all. Shalnark swore that woman wasn't even human? Oh, wait, she had earplugs. Damn, he knew he'd forgotten something.

"Miss, if you would please just calm down. I promise we mean you no harm. We just need your help," he continued, struggling to sound reassuring. They usually didn't need to go this far, but Danchou insisted she was only minimal damaged by the time they got to the hospital. Probably, because he didn't want Kurapika to wake up to a clearly frantic old woman who would spill the beans on him being less than saintly.

"I WILL NOT CALM DOWN!" she screamed her last words before Machi and Shalnark shared a look and the former hit her in the back of the neck. It couldn't be done in any other way. They needed to cure Kurapika as soon as possible.

So, the two worn-out Spiders dragged the finally quiet woman inside and hoped that this wouldn't cause her any lasting damage.

. . .

"Heyo, Danchou," Shalnark greeted, placing the old exorcist in a chair by the door. Machi stood close by and made sure she didn't try to run.

His Danchou sat near Kurapika, book in one hand and coffee in the other. Shalnark wondered if he'd left her side at all.

"Shalnark. What took you?" He seemed genuinely curious to hear the story, so Shalnark decided it would be rude to deny him a detailed retelling.

"The woman put up a bit of a fight."

"She's eighty years old," the dark-haired man pointed out, his voice filled with mirth and Shalnark was glad his Danchou wasn't completely depressed without his girlfriend. He was just like he usually was, if a little more worn-out.

"She also has a gun and really, really strong lungs," Shalnark informed. Chrollo chuckled pleasantly, black eyes glittering with mirth at his Spider's misfortune.

"Sounds like she did a number on you."

"I don't remember the last time my heart beat so fast," Shalnark said, tearfully.

Chrollo smiled like he always did when one of his Spiders did something amusing. Then, his obsidian eyes fell back on the old crow lying unconscious in the chair. "How long will it take for her to wake up?"

"I'll give her five minutes, max. Machi didn't hit her that hard."

A bit of grumbling and shifting from the exorcist proved them wrong. A few seconds and her eyes shot open. Her eyes took in the room frantically, and then she made a mad dash for the door. She tripped over by Machi's threads, and then pulled back into the room.

"Machi," Chrollo said, voice authoritative. He stood up and walked over to the woman and Machi. His voice and face turned gentle. "Let her go, please."

He kneeled down in front of the woman and looked her in the eye. Shalnark and Machi stood silently, watching as their Danchou turned on the charm. What tricks did he have up his sleeves this time?

"I'm sorry if they treated you poorly," he said, voice gentle and soothing, and Shalnark could already see her falling into the soft cadence. "Are you quite alright?"

"Yes," she said, suddenly tamed and polite. She sat up into a Seiza position. Shalnark smiled even more. His Danchou's charms never failed.

"I'm sorry. I should've come myself," he apologized, and he sounded so very sincere. Shalnark knew better. His Danchou was never sorry for anything.

"It's quite alright," the exorcist insisted. "I understand. You seem like a busy man."

"And I'm sure you're a busy woman," he replied, smiling charmingly. Women liked being complimented, and Danchou happened to be spectacular at spinning compliments. "With a talent like yours. It must be hard. Not many people are willing to understand the exceptional."

"Quite right," the woman said, a bit solemn now, beady eyes downcast. "Quite right. I've always been persecuted for this talent. People thinking I'm a witch. I come from a land of very superstitious you see and . . ." Beady eyes widened. "I'm sorry I've said too much. Please, you came to me for a reason. Who is it that you want me to exorcize."

"I couldn't possibly intrude," he said, respectful like only Danchou could be. He was truly the Spider Head, able to catch anyone in his web of deceit. Even Kurapika. "All I can do is ask that you can find it in your heart to save her."

"Her?" the woman asked, and Shalnark could see the sympathy in her eyes double.

Chrollo nodded, and the pain in his eyes was clear, which also meant it was fake for the most part. He got up with deliberate slowness and walked back to Kurapika's bed. He sat down at the bedside, and caressed the unconscious girl's pale cheek, then let it travel to her forehead, brushing away her bangs.

"Her name's Kurapika," he whispered, so fondly and so longingly that anyone's heart would break at his tone. Danchou was truly an amazing actor. "She's always been plagued by nightmares. It's an unfortunate side effect of her past. She'd wake up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat and tears running down her face and the only thing that could calm her down was being in my arms." Insert sad smile as he pretended to reminisce about those nights. "Lately, her nightmares have leaked into reality. It didn't take long for us both to realize that they were nen-induced hallucinations. They started talking to her, trying to convince her to kill herself." The woman gasped, completely absorbed in the story. Danchou nodded, his black eyes glassy with tears. "I couldn't stand to see her so distressed, so eventually we decided it was best to put her into a coma while I searched for a Nen exorcist, but I was weak. I couldn't leave her side. Which was I sent Machi and Shalnark to search for you." He smiled, now hopeful. "Please, please save her."

Hook, line, and sinker.

"Of course," she said, tears welling up in her own eyes. "Of course I will. Oh, the poor dear."

. . . Back In The Dream World . . .

Said poor dear was currently running through the forest with a rampaging flying rhino Akuma behind her. A rampaging flying rhino with sharp teeth and fire breath.

She focused back on the land before her. Or rather, the cave embedded nicely within the mountain. If they could just reach it. Then, they'd be home free. That was if Saffy was telling the truth.

They reached the base of the mountain in less than five minutes, which was easy when you were being chased by a giant fire-breathing flying rhino.

"What do we now?" Saffy asked, panic clear in his voice as the rhino closed in on them. It was only about thirty meters away now.

"We climb."

"WHAT?! That was your plan? Have you ever even climbed a mountain before?"

"Of course." And then she almost fell and died before Pairo came in and saved her, but he didn't need to know that. Besides, she was, like, eight when that happened. She was smarter and stronger now. And it's not like she'd die if she fell.

"Well, I haven't!" He yelled at her, as she started scaling the mountain.

"Look," she said, finding that mountain climbing was, in fact, a lot easier than it looked. "It's either the mountain or the digestive tract of that thing. I'd rather at least try to stay alive as long as possible, and I'd advise you to do the same."

"How can you be so calm?!" he asked, his voice shaky.

"I'm not. I'm just doing better than you."

She heard a sound of rock shifting below her. Glancing down, she was pleasantly surprised he figured out how to use his sheathed daggers to pull himself up. She was even more pleasantly surprised when he passed her on the way to the cave. Saffy was a natural.

She was just a foot away from the entrance when the flying rhino struck. The next seconds happened in a flurry of movements. Kurapika was suddenly aware that she wouldn't be able to make it, the rock in front of her crumbled, and Saffy screamed her name with the sort of panic associated with watching someone you care about getting eaten.

The next thing she knew, she was in the cave, trapped in an embrace with a tearful Saffy.

Somehow, she was the one who ended up asking him if he was alright.

"I'm fwine!" he sobbed, voice muffled by snot and tears and the fabric of her tribal attire. "I just got scared, okay? That's okay, right?"

"Saffy?" she asked, feeling like there was more going on here.

"My master," he continued, calming down a bit, "sent me to kill you. I've never wanted to fail him so much."

"You do realize he's dead, right?" she asked, realizing her words were harsh but not caring given the situation.

"It doesn't matter!" he shouted, hugging her tighter, face half-buried in her chest like a child embracing his mother, seeking her heartbeat, after a nightmare. "I'm still his Nen. His life force. I'm not supposed to act outside his orders."

"But you have," she pointed out. "Saffy, you're not just his Nen anymore. As soon as he died, you gained a mind of your own. You can do whatever you want."

"But that doesn't make any sense," he said, desperate for an answer he'd understand.

"Nen after death becomes stronger," Kurapika elaborated. "Your ties to your master have been severed. All that's left is his loyalty to Chrollo's brother. Is it so shocking that it be transferred to someone more suitable?"

"But -"

"Your elevated power might have something to do with it as well. Giving life to a marionette isn't that hard. Your personality's been set, and free will came with it. If anything, you should be grateful." It made perfect sense to her. Even if it was just a theory based on observation and her own experiences with Nen.

"You lost me," he said, all signs of tears replaced by confusion.

"He's dead, and you've become stronger to the point where you've become your own person in the Dream World," Kurapika summarized and comprehension dawned his face.

"So, I don't have to kill you anymore?" he asked. Kurapika shook her head, smiling in an almost motherly way. His face lit up. "Oh good. I was worried for a second." His face fell. "But . . . the Nen memory is still embedded in your mind. If you wake up and they hadn't found a Nen Exorcist by then . . ."

"Your new affiliation will mean nothing. And if they do . . . you'll disappear," Kurapika finished, and she smiled, but her smile was somber and solemn.

"I guess it's the only way," Saffy said, twiddling his thumbs. "It's okay, though. I think I've outlived my time here, anyway."

Kurapika wanted to tell him how wrong he was, but she didn't think that would help much. It would just serve to make both of them depressed.

. . . In the Real World . . .

"I'll start the exorcism right away," the old woman announced. "If you don't mind. I'd like to do this in private."

"Of course not. Machi, Shalnark." Chrollo quickly exited the room with his Spiders in tow.

"Do you think she'll be able to do it?" Shalnark asked.

Chrollo nodded, not a doubt clouding his vision. "By the end of the hour, Kurapika will be back with us."

. . . Back in the Dream World . . .

"You're fading away," Kurapika whispered, trying to keep her voice steady as Saffron's body started to lose more and more color.

"Y-yeah, I guess so," he replied, voice actually wavering as he tried to smile at her, reassure her that it didn't matter to him if this was the end. But his hands shook and bottom lip quivered and eyes swam with glistening tears.

She reached out and took one of his shivering hands in hers, noting how they almost felt like they were slipping out of her grasp every second that passed by. A few tears trailed down his face, and he covered her hand with his free one, holding onto her like she was his lifeline. She would never forget how much like a child he looked at that moment. Shivering with fear and trying to hide it as best he could.

"It's gonna be okay, right?" he asked, voice weak for once.

"Yeah."

. . . In the Real World . . .

"Is it true, Mr. Lucilfer?" Gon asked, excitedly. "Is Kurapika really going to come back today?"

"I predict so, Gon," he answered.

"Finally!" Gon yelled, raising her hands in the air. She then caught sight of Killua beside her and hugged him.

"Oi, Gon," he said, flustered, blushing furiously. Chrollo watched the scene with a genuine smile. He was in an understandably good mood. Three weeks had truly been worth it to see Kurapika awake and at peace again.

. . . In the Dream World . . .

"I'm sorry," Saffron said, brushing her cheek. "It must be hard watching your childhood friend die again?"

"What?" she asked, wondering when the tears started rolling. She'd never been one to cry very often. Not for herself. Not for others. Her tear ducts had dried up with the massacre of her clan.

"Pairo," Saffron uttered, a little bit sad as if he expected that all the affection she'd shown these past few days was thanks to his close resemblance to her old best friend.

"Please," she scoffed, but the tears kept falling and her scoff turned into a half-sob, "this is all on you, Saffy."

And she leaned forward to lean her forehead against his. His eyes welled up with tears again, and then they started falling, mixing in with hers.

. . . Back in the Real World . . .

"It's done," the old woman said, opening the door with a tired look on her face.

"Eh, are you okay, Miss Exorcist?" Gon asked, taking in her haggard appearance. The old lady smiled at her.

"Quite alright. Turned out harder than I thought it would. It was difficult to find the source of the Nen."

. . . Back in the Dream World . . .

She was alone again. Saffron had disappeared just seconds ago, leaving her clenching her empty fists on her lap and watching the teardrops sparkle in the sunlight. She wondered what he'd meant by that.

" _I hope you live."_

. . . Real World . . .

"You did put her in a coma?!" Leorio yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at him. Chrollo gave him a blank, emotionless look.

"Is that such a problem? I did it to keep her safe."

Leorio scowled at him, but said nothing more, as he conjured his Bandit's Secret into existence. It was time to bring her back.

. . . Dream World . . .

 _"I hope you live for yourself and not for your past. Promise me?"_

She couldn't. She couldn't. She just couldn't.

She had to.

For Saffron.

. . . Real World . . .

Her eyes were immediately bombarded by the bright light of the hospital room. She turned away out of reflex, clenching her eyes closed again, before opening them finally.

"What happened? How long was I out?" she asked, getting up, ignoring the pain in her head.

"Three weeks," a familiar voice said, the relief in it ringing clearly in her ears. She turned towards the owner, heart beating fast in anticipation. And there he was. His midnight hair a bit disheveled, dark circles forming below his onyx eyes, and clothes uncharacteristically ruffled.

"What took you so long?" she asked, fondly.

"We had some trouble finding you an exorcist," he whispered, leaning in closer so their noses were almost touching. By then, said exorcist had shuffled everyone out of the room so the lovebirds could have their time together, much to the disappointment of all of Kurapika's friends (as well as fans).

Chrollo planted a gentle kiss on her forehead as he wrapped his arms around her. She melted into him as usual, welcoming his warmth. His scent. How she'd missed his scent. The way it so easily put her mind at ease.

"Hmm, I suppose I can let it slide this once," Kurapika whispered, contentment swimming in her words. Her arms tightened around him, and her hands fisted into the cloth of his dress shirt.

Chrollo chuckled, and she relished in the way it made his chest vibrate. She felt his breath near her ear and heard him whisper, "I've missed you."

"You had better." Her answer. Because she couldn't quite recall if she'd missed him.

. . .

"We still have to discuss the subject of payment," the old Exorcist said when Kurapika was finished talking with all the people who'd come to see her. It made her feel like some sort of monarch waiting to hear the grievances of her subjects.

"How much do you want?" Chrollo asked, as politely as he could while most of his attention was hogged by Kurapika's honey-kissed hair.

"Oh, I've already taken most of it," she informed. Chrollo glanced at her, ordering her to explain with just the intensity of his gaze. "Her memories from the Dream World. I figured they couldn't be too important, so I took them. They seemed to do the trick." Chrollo nodded. At least it wasn't something like Kurapika's life span being cut in half. In that case, he probably would've lashed out and killed the impudent exorcist. "But I still need one more thing."

"Name it."

"A body part of hers," the woman answered.

Everyone in the room, everyone being reduced to Kurapika's roommates and three Spiders. Some waited for Kurapika to lash out, others for Chrollo.

"Could you elaborate?" Kurapika asked, polite but cold, the icy fire behind her words clear.

"Something like a finger, or your ears. You have very nice ears."

Kurapika instinctively reached up to touch them. She rather liked having ears.

"How about my hair instead?" she offered, twirling a blonde lock of hair around her index finger.

The woman took said lock of hair and inspected it closely.

"Yes, yes. Medium-blonde, honey-colored, healthy shimmer. Yes, I think they'll do well. How about, I cut it up to your shoulders. It's quite thick as well, so it should be fine," the old lady chattered.

"Um, alright?"

. . .

Kurapika ran another hand through her short blonde hair. It felt so strange, not having anything silky soft past her shoulders.

"Feels strange, doesn't it?" Chrollo asked from beside her on the bench under the stars.

"Yeah, it'll probably be easier to manage though. I've been meaning to get a haircut anyway," she assured, though it was obvious it bothered her some.

"It's beautiful," Chrollo said, leaning down with an almost predatory look in his eyes. Her earring dangled playfully.

"Chrollo," she warned, but his lips were already on hers. Three weeks was really too long.

"I said I missed you," he whispered between kisses.

Funny, she felt like she missed something too. Like she was forgetting something important.

But what?

 **Next On NAPP!:**

 **Last chapter, people. Hunter Exams and goodbyes. Oh, and meetings with evil brothers.**

 **(A/N: Kurapika was so close to forgetting her vendetta, and then bam, she forgot. Was it OOC for her to forget her revenge because her dying friend asked her to? Well, no. Kurapika has a ton of respect for the dead.)**

 **Question of the Day: How was that death scene? It was my first time writing one.**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **guest: Yay for badass Kurapika. You've got a crying one here. Still badass, though. Yeah, Leorio's a doctor and he ain't about to be fooled by Chrollo's shitty cover-up. Machi's definition of teamwork: You bait. I kill. Once again your theories impress me immensely. But that's all I'm gonna say. RIP Saffy. He just wanted someone to love him. Good thing he met Kurapika. And yes, the Akuma are from the Dark Continent. That is an accurate depiction of Roro. He's insane and he loves his brother. Thank you sooooooooooooooooo much for reviewing and posting such amazing theories. I hope you liked this chapter. I mean, Saffy died, but we got a slick Chrollo. Who is partly to blame for his death, but I mean, what was he supposed to do? Poor Saffy, though. I feel bad for my own character.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and I'll see you next time on NAPP! For the last time. Take it all in. NAPP's about to be completed.**


	36. Temporary Goodbyes

**Disclaimer: I still don't own HxH**

 **(A/N: Here it is. The end of an era. 114 reviews, 44 favorites, 40 followers, and 114730 words. I'm so proud of us.)**

 **Warning: Something very suggestive almost happens. Still kept it at T. I mean, have you ever watched the stuff on TV. Most of it's for teenagers. So I think I'm fine, but I dunno. Feel free to skip.**

 **Chapter 36: Temporary Goodbyes**

"You're a lucky one, Miss," the old exorcist commented as they all escorted her to the car, after Shalnark assured she wouldn't be put in the trunk again.

"I am?" she asked. Lucky wasn't the word she'd use to describe herself. Cursed, maybe. Terrorized by her past and thirsty for revenge still, but not lucky.

"You have a man like that to take care of you." She gestured to Chrollo, who was engaged in a conversation with Shalnark. Kurapika absentmindedly noted that he looked absolutely gorgeous in the moonlight.

"Take care of me?" Kurapika repeated, almost incredulous. She didn't need a man to take care of her. She could take care of herself, dammit!

"He told me about your nightmares," the old crow said, conspiratorially. Kurapika grimaced. This didn't sound good. "It must've been hard on your psyche. It's good you had someone like him to comfort you."

"Comfort?" In what way?!

"Yes, he told me all about how the only thing that calmed you down was being in his arms," the woman recounted like it was some old favorite love story of hers.

Kurapika's eyes widened a fraction, and for a second, she said nothing. Sure, she liked being in his arms, but it wasn't like that was the only thing that could calm her down.

"Did he now?" she finally said, forcing a smile onto her face. It turned out a little scarier than she had intended. The woman put a hand on her arm.

"There's nothing to be shy about, my dear," she reassured, and Kurapika hated the conversation even more. "It's normal for two young people in love such as yourselves to be physically intimate. Why, when I was your age and met my sweetheart, we couldn't keep our hands off each other! To be honest, you two are quite chaste compared to most young people these days."

"Could you excuse me, for just one second?" Kurapika asked, as sweetly and kindly as she could with her fury threatening to boil over. The woman nodded, seemingly reminiscing about her dead love life.

The honey-colored blonde made her way to Chrollo, grabbed his arm, and dragged him away from his conversation with Shalnark.

"Where are we going?" he asked, the curiosity in his voice fanning the angry flames of her fury. "What happened?"

Once they reached a small grouping of trees, she rounded on him and he nearly ran into her. They were only inches apart now, but Kurapika was clearly not in the mood for kisses so Chrollo obediently kept his hands to himself.

"The only thing that could calm me down was your embrace?" she started. "You were the only one able to comfort me? What the hell kind of lies have you been spinning while I was gone?"

"Oh, come on, Pika-chan," he teased, grinning like a Cheshire cat as their noses touched. "There's nothing to be shy about. After all, there's nothing strange about two young people being physically intimate with each other."

She pushed his face away with one hand, unimpressed with his attempts at seduction. She should've known he'd heard that.

"Don't call me Pika-chan," she said, but her threats fell on deaf ears, as the man brushed some golden locks back behind her ear.

"You're nineteen now, yes?" he asked, coming faintly closer.

"What does that have to with anything?" Kurapika asked, exasperated with his antics. He asked the strangest questions.

"Short hair makes you look older. Your features are much sharper somehow," he observed, eyes darting to take in her face.

She tilted her head to the side. So what if she looked older?

The man finally made his move, placing his lips to her cheek.

"Gon and Killua are going out tonight. Leorio's going to be stuck with exams, and Biscuit's out helping Netero with something. Which means," he whispered, placing his hands on her hips, "we'll be alone."

Warmth flooded her cheeks.

"Take that as you will," he smirked, turning away from her.

The pinpricks of that blasted heated stare at the back of her neck finally ticked her off. Once Chrollo was finally out of sight, her dazed look turned positively icy. One could freeze an entire ocean with that glare.

"Alright, whoever you are, come out now," she said, authority dripping from her voice. But suddenly the presence was gone. Kurapika's glare intensified as she kept her gaze on the source of that angry aura.

They didn't plan on revealing themselves, then. Well, Kurapika would prefer not to fight. She was a pacifist at heart, after all, but under the right circumstances, she'd fight anyone.

She turned away, her guard still up, even as she left the small grove. It didn't feel like they followed her out.

Chrollo stood in front of the exorcist, probably still thanking her for all she had done for them. Kurapika came up to them, and the raven-haired man wrapped an arm around her waist, undoubtedly to show the woman how close they were.

"Thank you again, Miss," Kurapika offered her own gratefulness. "I don't know where I'd be if you hadn't shown up."

"Oh, it's alright, my dear," she said, taking her hand and patting it, before climbing into the car. "It's nice to know there are still some nice, young people in this cruel world. Stick with each other. Love like yours is hard to come by."

Chrollo pressed his lips to the side of the blonde's temple. "We will."

And then Shalnark started the car and drove away. Chrollo's arm disappeared from her waist, and she moved to put a few feet of distance between them.

"You are a fantastic actor," she commented.

"It was only half-acting," he answered, almost sounding like he was trying to reassure her. "It's getting late, you should get back to the dorm."

"I don't think I can sleep again after all that's happened," Kurapika whispered, running a nervous hand through her hair.

"Understandable," he whispered, placing a hand atop her head. "You've been in a coma for the past three weeks. Still, you better head back."

She nodded, chewing on her bottom lip as she deliberated whether it was wise to bring this topic up. "What about you?"

"I'll be along, don't worry," he said. "Go back now."

She gave him a suspicious look but consented anyway. It was Chrollo. He wouldn't tell her if she asked.

. . .

She popped another piece of pasta in her mouth, happy to finally have some real food to eat. It was strange. Not remembering anything from her three weeks in a coma. It felt like a gaping hole in her mind. Everything was just blocked out.

Well, no matter. She was out now and the Hunter Exam was coming up. What she should be doing now was focusing on her studies. After that, she can look into a new Nen teacher. Izunavi wasn't willing to teach her, probably because Chrollo would kill him, and Chrollo himself had already shown he had no intention of helping with her vendetta.

She needed to find someone who didn't mind the fact they might be helping her build an earlier grave.

"Look who's up on her feet and studying again," a slippery voice whispered, the cadence both peaceful and disturbing.

"Hisoka," she greeted him, aura instantly flaring up.

"How mean, Kura-chan, I'm only here to talk," he said, smiling easily and seating himself across from her.

"About?" she asked, guardedly, voice thick with distrust.

"How happy I am to see you back to your usual self!" he said, happily, putting some pasta in an empty bowl he'd grabbed with his bungee gum. "And you made supper! What an adorable little housewife you'll make one day."

She glared, fork stabbing at the food on her plate.

"Too far?" he asked, as she rigidly brought the fork up to her mouth. She didn't say anything, chewing her food with the same jagged movements. For a moment, she almost looked like some kind of robot, ready to shoot lasers from her eyes.

"What. Do you. Want to. Talk. About?"

Oh dear, oh dear. Hisoka never felt so scared of an unripe fruit before. How exciting! No, no, he must control himself. He had things to do.

"That information about the Spiders. They're hitting York New come September," he said. "In your current state, you won't be able to beat them. So, I suspect you'll be looking for a new Nen master? ~"

"Yes, I will be looking for a new Nen master. _What of it?_ "

"I volunteer myself," he said, placing a hand over his heart as if he was sacrificing his soul to the devil.

"No."

He pouted. "So mean ~. Fine. I suppose you won't accept recommendations either?"

She shook her head.

"Suit yourself. But I didn't offer my help to you at no cost. Be ready when the time comes," he warned in his lilting voice.

"I will be."

And then he was gone. So was the ceramic bowl of pasta.

Kurapika sighed, leaning her forehead on one hand. She was so close now. Why could she feel her resolve shaking, breaking down, crumbling down like the ruins of some old castle?

"Kurapika?"

Her head shot up and then whirled around to see Chrollo standing there with a worried look on his face.

"Are you okay?" he continued, walking closer to her.

It was him. It was his fault she was forgetting her revenge. It was his fault her rage was fading. It was all him. Always him.

He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she slapped his hand away without thinking. The man frowned and sat down next to her.

"Is this about what happened in the forest?" he asked, clearly concerned. Kurapika's vision went red. He already showed he was a decent actor. Was it possible this was one of them? He'd told her when they had their first kiss on the balcony that he intended to use her feelings to drag her off the path. In the thrill of the moment, surrounded by nightmares and visions and evil brothers trying to kill her, she'd forgotten about keeping her distance. She had let her emotions get the best of her, but now that her head was clearer than ever before, she cursed her own stupidity.

He tried to grab her chin, but she whipped her head away. She couldn't look at him.

Chrollo was having none of it, he gripped her chin with his index finger and thumb, and forced her to look him in the eye. She glared at him, eyes burning scarlet. His grasp loosened at the sight, and she quickly snapped her head away.

"I think," she started, voice barely above a whisper, "I'm going to turn in for the night."

She got up and he did nothing to stop her. The blonde silently walked to her room, but before she could turn the knob, a hand shot out to grab her wrist.

"What's wrong?" he asked, voice quiet, breath warm against her ear. He was too close. He always came too close. It was like he didn't care at all. Wasn't affected by her presence at all.

"I want to stop," she said, voice coming out colder than she'd intended.

"What?" he asked, and his tone came out in a gentle caress. One she would've fallen right into three weeks before.

"I'm leaving in a month from now," she lied, "so we should stop now. Please."

His eyes widened, and then a smile spread across his face. He dipped his head and started laughing.

"That is the worst excuse you've yet to come up with," he chuckled, and Kurapika hated how warm she felt just by listening to it.

"I -"

"That's not what you're really worried about, is it?" he divulged, coming closer. "You're scared because it's working. You're forgetting."

She opened her mouth to reply, but he pressed his lips to hers before any sound could come out. He always kissed her at the worst moments, and always when her mouth was open and easily accessed. The pervert.

The door to her room opened and shut behind them. A strange sense of deja vu overtook her as she tripped over the side of his bed, landing softly among the clean linen. She picked herself up and backed away, but then she hit the headboard. Trapped. Again. He always found a way to trap her again.

His face was ridiculously close again, and his eyes bored into hers as if asking permission. Something within her grew hot in anticipation as she took his chin and beckoned him closer. He smiled and his lips fell on hers again, and she kissed him back. She couldn't stop. She didn't want to. Only him. She wanted him.

And she didn't stop. Even as his fingers gripped the hem of her shirt and pulled it up over her head, letting it land somewhere on the floor. It should've been enough to set off the warning bells. It didn't. Not when he nipped at her collarbone, and not when he trailed kisses down her neck, her hand clutched in his hair. His hands traveled over her lower torso. And she couldn't help but gasp in pleasure as he licked a spot on the edge of her jaw line.

Shit. Shit. Shit. This was wrong.

"Stop," she gasped. She was in too deep already. If she delved any deeper, everything she had worked for up until now would be for nothing. "Chrollo."

He did stop. His lips left the base of her neck, in favor of reclaiming her own.

"Chrollo," she repeated, pushing him off this time. "Please." She needed one of them to stop.

He stared, eyes darker than usual with some strange emotion. Her heartbeat was out of control. Her body was still burning. She had to calm down.

"Stop," he started, and she'd never heard his voice so icy. At least not towards her. "Stop chasing the Spider."

Something in her broke at that request.

"I can't."

He leaned so close that she could pick up flecks of brown in his somehow fiery black eyes. "Then I can't let you go."

And then he let her go, buttoning up the few top buttons of his dress shirt that had come undone in the chaos. Leaving her alone to contemplate his words. She didn't even bother to put on her abandoned shirt. She had her undergarments and somehow, she felt a bit too warm to be comfortable in it.

He couldn't let her go.

But.

He couldn't exactly stop her either.

[. . . A Few Hours Earlier . . .]

"Come out, brother dearest," Chrollo called, his eyes dark with bloodlust despite the seemingly friendly smile gracing his face.

"I must admit," a handsome, dark-haired man with a cross mark on his neck walked out of the shadow of the trees, an ice cream cone in his hand, "your little girlfriend's pretty sharp."

"I'm surprised you're careless enough to show your face right now," Chrollo replied, ignoring his comments on Kurapika. He was in no mood to discuss her right now, especially not with the man who had been trying to kill her the entire school year.

"Hmm, I came to see how positively wonderful the little Kurta is," Roro smiled, green eyes flickering. Green eyes like their father's. "She's something alright. Smart, beautiful, passionate. What more could you ask for? Pity she has to die soon."

"Is that all you came here for?"

Roro took another lick of ice cream and laughed, "Oh, no! Just to talk about your girlfriend? Do I look like some teenage girl, Chrollo? Next, we'll be painting each other's nails."

He did not need that mental image.

"Hmm, want some?" he asked, holding out the cone. Chrollo looked at it, distastefully. "Are you sure? Cookies n' Cream, your favorite. Doesn't even need to follow proper grammar structure, can just omit letters on a regular basis." Roro laughed at his own joke and then smiled at his brother. "I suppose I can't expect you to laugh at my jokes, no matter how brilliant they are. Especially now."

Chrollo glared at him. Roro's smile widened.

"What a wonderful sight," he uttered. "Your hatred. You really are strongest when you're angered. Usually, by now, I would've had your Benz knife in my abdomen. Remember when I made you kill them all the first time? You came back, bloodied and furious. It was the first time you were able to beat me. When you realized I couldn't die, you tossed me in my prison. I'd never felt more proud. I truly taught you well." He nodded, happily, before taking a bit of his ice cream again.

Chrollo realized he did have something he wanted answered.

"Who let you out?" the younger Lucilfer asked.

"Oh, that's easy," Roro replied as if he was merely answering questions at a test or interview. "Likon got me out."

"And then you killed him." Chrollo couldn't imagine killing so loyal to him. Likon was to Roro, what the other Spiders were to him. He had never failed him once before. Once was all it took to seal his death.

"Well, I couldn't very well have him running around spilling my secrets to your Spiders," Roro shrugged. "It was either him or me, y'know. Strictly business."

"He worshipped you."

"He was wrong," Roro said, his voice rather solemn. So, he did feel some sort of sorrow for Likon. "He should know by now. Lucilfers can't love normally. It's like a curse."

"It's not a curse." Chrollo hated having this conversation. It was, unfortunately, a frequent occurrence in his youth. "We just didn't know any better."

"What, that _woman_ taught you how to properly love her?" Roro asked, no, taunted. "You should know by now, little brother. If you stay by her side, that girl will break. If you keep loving her, you won't be able to let her go. Remember father?"

"Mother loved him." At least, those were the stories. Their parents had abandoned them when Chrollo was about ten months old, leaving him and his six-year-old brother to rot in Meteor City.

"And then she ran. He chased after her. And then they were both dead."

"Because she fled to the Dark Continent."

"And why do you suppose she did that?" Roro asked. "Man, you really want this to work out. Can't you see that it's just going to end in tragedy? Something's going to break her eventually. Personally, I'm betting on your role in the Genei Ryodan."

"She'll get over it," Chrollo said, face still blank, though inside he was cursing himself for replying.

"Are you sure about that? Because at this rate, it looks like she could very easily turn against you. If she tries to kill you, your instincts are going to act up and you're going to be the one doing the killing. And as we all know, you're not very merciful to the people you mur-"

Roro suddenly found himself pinned to a tree by the neck. Chrollo's grip tightened, ready to crush every bone in his neck, no matter the fact that he was practically invincible. Imagining himself kill Kurapika was strangely aggravating.

"Look, little brother," Roro said, raising his hands in a placating manner. "I only wish to help you. One of you is going to end up dying, and it'll probably be her. Either way, if it comes down to it, I'll kill her so you don't have to."

It was a warning. Was he ready to leave her alone? Let her live?

"Though, in the end, I suppose it's inevitable since it seems she's digging her grave as we speak. Your Spiders may be under your control, but she is not. We both know who you'll choose in the end." Roro's face suddenly brightened up, and he lifted his hands in a sort of ta-da gesture. "And so, she's screwed either way. Unless you somehow magically make her forget her revenge and leave her alone forever."

And the hand at Roro's throat disappeared. He sank down into a crouch.

"You know I'm right, little brother," he said, looking up at him. "Sooner or later, you two are going to be enemies."

. . . Present Time . . .

Chrollo sat in the kitchen area, spinning his Benz knife in his hand skillfully as he recalled Roro's words.

" _Lucilfers can't love normally."_

Kurapika needed someone like that. Someone who could offer her everything they had, who could love her normally. Instead of keeping secrets and choosing his gang over her. The Spider came first.

He needed to leave her.

He needed to stop her from avenging her family.

And that was all he needed from her.

"Chrollo?" she asked, sitting down next to him. She was wearing a shirt, thankfully, though her cheeks were still a bit flushed. A stab of guilt, an emotion he only felt once before, went through him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "if I scared you."

The blonde shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous. I knew you weren't going to do anything to hurt me. Nor would you ever. You're just worried. I can't blame you for that. If the roles were reversed, I'd probably act the same. But . . ."

"But?"

"I can't stop," she finished, voice so full of pain, it almost felt like you could hear the inner conflict splitting her brain. "So, please, don't ask me to."

 _"Lucilfers can't love normally."_

Then he'd let her go. Let her go for now, and hope someone better suited could douse that fiery revenge.

. . . One Month Later . . .

Kurapika and Mr. Lucilfer were acting strangely, Gon thought. They usually were talking, bickering, _something,_ but she figured the stress of Kurapika leaving must be difficult. They were leaving today after all. The exam had gone by in a breeze. Hisoka had decided to join in for the fun of it and passed as well. It was all thanks to Kurapika's study sessions. In the last month, the woman had dragged them all to a private study room in the library which she had apparently been using all year. They spent three hours a day in there, though it didn't feel like it because Kurapika made them take breaks every thirty minutes or so. Something about studying being more beneficial when done in segments. Whatever it was, it worked.

"There you go," Hotaru said, monotonously, as she passed out their Hunter licenses.

Kurapika's eyes widened a fraction. "Why my real name?"

"Well, Miss Calin. Hunters can't hunt other Hunters so you won't have to worry about people searching for your eyes. No one else will be able to figure out your ties to the Kurta Clan since it can only really be accessed through the Hunter's website," the secretary droned on.

"Understood." She still wished Netero had at least notified her beforehand.

"Well, get out of my office," Hotaru muttered, sitting back down at her desk.

The three friends exchanged smiles at the woman's apparent annoyance with them.

. . .

"Wow," Leorio whistled as he took in their licenses, "you guys know how pricey these things get?"

"You're not selling them, Leorio," Kurapika deadpanned before he could even mutter the suggestion.

"I wasn't going to!" Leorio shot back, frowning. He then mumbled, "I was just stating the facts. I have a lot of student loans to pay off."

Gon laughed at his excuse and took another slurp of her milkshake. They were in the surrounding town again. Leorio had let them to an old-fashioned restaurant, going on and on about the comfy red leather sofas, awesome food, and cool vintage tables. Gon thought that it must be great if Leorio liked it so much, and Killua had just shrugged and said he didn't really care where they went. Kurapika took some convincing. Apparently, she had some bad experience last time Leorio had picked the restaurant. Gon eventually got her to come along as well for the sake of their last day together.

"So, did you open Ging's box yet, Gon?" Kurapika asked, curiously.

Gon shook her head. "I kind of want us all to be together when I open it. I hope you don't mind."

That motherly smile played on Kurapika's lips again. Gon decided Kurapika would make a great mom someday. She'd like to meet a mini Kurapika eventually. They'd probably be really cute.

"Hey, Kurapika?" Gon asked.

"Yes, Gon?"

"Have you ever thought about becoming a mother?" Gon finally uttered, twirling her straw around in her glass, as she casually leaned her chin on her hand.

The next events happened in a little over ten seconds. Kurapika processed the question in a little under a second. It took her three seconds to start choking on her beverage, which lasted approximately six seconds, in which time frame Leorio took the time to pat her on the back.

"You okay, Kura?" he asked, worriedly.

"I'm fine," she coughed, and when she continued talking, her voice came out lower as if she had a cold. "What brought that question up, Gon?"

"I dunno, I just thought you'd be good at it," she elaborated.

Kurapika took a sip of her milkshake as she pondered her query. "I suppose I have. I'd like to rebuild the Kurta Clan one day. And make sure it's protected this time. I would have to find the right person though."

"Like Mr. Lucilfer?" she asked. It made perfect sense in Gon's simple mind.

Kurapika didn't seem to think it was quite so perfect because the next few seconds were devoted to more choking.

"I think I'd rather get a sperm donor," Kurapika murmured, once the coughing fit ended.

"What's a sperm donor?"

. . . A few hours later . . .

Killua noted vaguely that Kurapika had sat as far away from Lucilfer as she possibly could. Gon's question must still be weighing on her mind. He kept telling her to think before she said unnecessary things.

They were all sitting on the floor, except for Lucilfer, who was sitting on the window ledge and spinning that weird-looking knife in his hand. She inserted her card into the slot on the purple box. It opened to reveal three seemingly unrelated items: an old cassette tape, a JoyStation gaming console, and a ring.

"Do we even have a cassette player?" he found himself asking. A few seconds and Biscuit came out of her room with a pink, flowery cassette player. How typical. "Of course, the old lady would have one."

She punched him in the face without even looking.

"Here you are, Gon," she said, sweetly, daintily handing over the cassette player like it was the most precious thing in the world. Gon thanked her, after making sure his cheek was alright and placed the tape inside. The five of them watched the recorder intently, their nerves shot as they waited for it to start.

"Yo, Gon," it said.

Ging's voice. This was the voice of Gon's father. Killua put the thought away for later and focused on what he was telling them.

"So you became a Hunter, too." Nice start, Dad of the Year. "Anyway, I have a question for you. Do you want to see me?"

Well, obviously.

"If you do, keep listening. If you don't, press the stop button." A pause. No one spoke. "I'm guessing that's a yes. Then I'll ask you once more. Are you prepared? Hunters are selfish creatures willing to sacrifice anything to get what they want. If you're only slightly interested in seeing me, you should stop the tape now. I'll give you a minute to consider it," He was really drilling this in, wasn't he? They looked at Gon, whose face was just as determined as ever. The other four exchanged a smile, as they watched Gon's lips curve up into a smile. "I guess you really do want to see me. But I don't want to see you."

Everyone was a bit surprised, but Leorio was the only one to break their secret agreement to keep quiet. "What?! What the hell kind of father are you?! What father leaves his daughter -"

Killua and Kurapika both placed their hands over his mouth to shut him up, as they continued to listen closely for any hints to the man's location.

"I don't know how I could face you. After all, I chose my own desires over my parental duty. I'm not a good person. I'm guessing by the time you hear this tape, at least ten years have passed. But one thing hasn't changed. I'm still me. As you listen to this tape, I'm off doing reckless things. If you want to see me, find me. But as I said before, I don't want to see you. If I sense you nearby, I'll make myself scarce. Catch me if you can. You are a hunter, aren't you?"

Gon's nen flared up for a second, and then settled down again. She smiled, excited for the challenge.

"Man," Killua said, as if it was a hassle, "your dad's not gonna go easy on us, huh?"

"Ging's still there," Gon announced, watching the tape roll on still.

"There's one more thing," it said. "About your mother. If you want to know more, keep listening. If you're not interested -"

Gon shut it off before it could even finish its sentence.

"Are you sure?" Killua asked sort of surprised Gon wasn't in the slightest bit curious about her mother. That's half her DNA right there.

"Yeah," Gon replied, smiling as usual.

"What if he left something important at the end?"

"I doubt it," Gon replied. "Besides, Mito is the only mom I need."

That was kind of harsh. She carried her for nine months, after all.

. . .

The six of them gathered at the port. Kurapika on her way to YorkNew City. Killua and Gon were planning on going back to Whale Island for a while, during which time they would use to figure out what the other items Ging left Gon were all about.

Leorio, Biscuit, and Chrollo were also there to see them off. Leorio decided to take summer classes, so he could catch up to them faster, and now stood hugging a very annoyed Kurapika.

"I don't want you to go!" he sobbed.

"It's not like it's forever, Leorio. You're overreacting," she scolded, grimacing at her tear-soaked shoulder.

"It's gonna feel like it!" he cried, hugging her tighter. She pat him on the back awkwardly, as a few people started giving them strange looks. "It's our first time really being separated in, like, ten years."

"Two years. We've been together for two years, Leorio."

"THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH! SHUT UP AND HUG ME!"

She rolled her eyes and consented, wrapping her arms around his waist and placing her chin on his shoulder.

"Hey, Kurapika! Leorio!" Gon yelled as she bounded over to join their group hug. "How about we meet up in YorkNew City in September?"

"Uh-huh, we can meet up in YorkNew City and have tons of fun there."

"I don't know," Kurapika said, uncertainly. Gon gazed up at her with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Pleeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaase?"

"Oh, alright."

"Yes!" Gon yelled triumphantly, punching the air, before jumping back into the hug again. Killua watched the entire scene from the sidelines. He wasn't much of a group-hugger anyway.

Gon wasn't having any of it. With a sneaky glance at both Leorio and Kurapika, the three lunged at the silver-haired boy, tipping him over onto the grass. The four friends landing in a half-giggling mess.

"All aboard to Dolle Harbor!"

"That's our ride," Killua said. Gon nodded, smile a bit subdued now. And then the two got up and walked hand-in-hand to their deck. Then, Gon's steps halted, she released his hand and ran back towards the two older friends. She embraced them both, setting her chin in the place where their shoulders met.

"September first, okay?" she whispered. Both nodded. Once she was reasonably satisfied, Gon released them and ran back to Killua whose arms were already waiting for her.

"Man," Leorio said, nostalgically, as the boat vanished into just a speck on the horizon, "it feels like we just met them yesterday."

"Really? It feels more like a lifetime."

"Can you let me make my poetic observation without commenting on it?"

"I don't see anything poetic in your observations," she countered, shifting her weight to one leg, ready to jump into a run when he inevitably snapped.

"THAT IS IT! I've had it with all you disrespectful twats!"

There it was. The snapping of the thin thread that kept Leorio from unleashing his true wrath. Kurapika quickly ran away from the man, who she likened to a stampeding rhino, and took shelter behind Chrollo. That didn't stop Leorio. He reached for her, but she sidestepped to the front of the young man and latched onto him, arms tightening around his waist. Chrollo seemed unaffected by the entire thing, choosing to focus on the rather interesting novel he was currently reading.

"All aboard to YorkNew City!"

That was all it took for Leorio's face to crumble. Kurapika sighed and got ready to go over and comfort him when two strong arms wrapped around her middle. Chrollo buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Stay safe," he whispered, and she knew this was meant for her ears only. Her hand traveled up to his hair, stroking it.

"I'll try."

He kissed the skin on the base of her neck, and then released her.

"You should go. Or you'll miss the boat." And he would like that, wouldn't he?

"Okay," she said.

She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay there, in his arms. Unlike with Gon and the others, she had no idea when she'd see him again.

But she had to. Her path to revenge officially started today, as soon as she stepped onto that boat. Her goals came before any selfish desires she may be leaving behind.

She backed away from him, still smiling.

"I'll see you around, Chrollo."

"Yes, you will."

"Oi, Leorio!" she yelled. Leorio was currently being 'comforted' by Biscuit. "Don't go out with that blurry vision. You'll get yourself killed!"

Leorio shouted some blubbering nonsense at her which she didn't even bother to decipher. And with deliberate steps, the woman walked up to the main deck of the ship. The sea breeze caressed her cheeks.

Today was only the beginning.

"Hey, girly. Wanna go out on a date?!"

She hit the man on the back of the head, promptly knocking him out. She'd forgotten how uncouth some sailors could be when they were drunk. Where was she? Oh yes.

Today was only the beginning. The path ahead was uncertain, but -

"KURAPIKA!" Leorio yelled, leaning over the railing with tears and snot running down his face. He reached out as if to touch her. "I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU!"

She wasn't dead for God's sake.

Anyway, today was only the beg-

"Shit, who let a frickin' lion on here?"

"What?!"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

"IT'S ON THE DECK! EVERYBODY RUN!

Ah, screw it. She was gonna go take a nap. The lion seemed like good company anyway.

. . . A few minutes later . . .

"Did she put it to sleep or something?" one of them asked, and Kurapika grimaced ever-so-slightly from her position. "Is it dead."

"The thing's literally curled up around her! How can she sleep like that?" another one loudly whispered. Her grimace deepened.

"Should we kill it while it's down?" yet another suggested, and Kurapika's anger finally boiled over. The lion wasn't doing anything to them. How dare they be so crude?

"Haven't you people ever heard of a good night's sleep?" she asked, her fiery temper on fierce display. All fifteen passengers immediately went back to their own business. Kurapika sunk lower into the lion's dense coat and grumbled, "geez, you'd think they were raised in a barn."

The magnificent beast yawned its approval.

It was quite simple really.

The lion was just attracted to the lioness in human clothing.

 **. . .**

 **The End**

 **Question of the Day: Come with me on a trip down memory lane. Think of all the things that have happened throughout this story. Now, what was your favorite character? Favorite scene? Favorite chapter? You can answer all of these or just one, so don't feel obliged to answer any of them really.**

 **(A/N: I was rereading chapter 5 today - AKA Chrollo's first appearance - dang, KuroKura has come a long way. They're practically making out in every chapter now. Dat sexual tension, doh.)**

 **~ Replies to Reviewers ~**

 **LadyLoophole: I'm glad you like it so far. I hope you continued to until the end. Thanks for reviewing at least once to tell me your thoughts : )**

 **Guest: Yes, no one can beat Chrollo when it comes to manipulation. Here, have a tissue for the Saffy sadness. He's in a better place now. I think. Oh no, Chrollo is gonna suffer in YorkNew for all he's put Kura through. OMG, I'm so glad you picked up on the Calcifer reference. It was totally intentional. And no, she forgot Saffy and her promise to forget revenge. Her desire for revenge is still perfectly intact, as you can see. OMG, thank you for reviewing and all your kind words thus far. They've really meant a lot. I hope you stick around for the sequel. I'd love to hear more from you, AwesomeTheoryGuest.**

 **Sweets Dreamer: It was a Brave reference! Nah, it's okay to miss some things here and there. And don't worry, college gets better after you settle in. The first weeks are the worst. Time management gets easier too, so don't believe what everyone says about always being sleep deprived. I'm glad you liked the fic on AO3. I'd wanted to write it for a while, and had it outlined and everything. I hope you continue to like it. BTW, I'll be posting it on here as well. And don't steal other people's wallets. Unless you give them back afterward. That's fine. Crazy Netero is dealing with some president stuff, probably. He's a busy man. He probably came to visit her at least once in those three weeks. Maybe I'll post that in the one-shot series. Look on the bright side, there's a whole new story yet to come, and seeing as there's no HxH chapter coming out this week, I'm going to need something to fill the void. And yes, you can still pull out Roro's fingernails. As always, thank you so much for reviewing, and good luck with college. I hope you enjoyed this long chapter, and that you'll stick around to read the sequel.**

 **MedusaLegend: The granny is good at reading the mood. And Kurapika and Chrollo are far from being in the clear. Trust me. They can't get married and have lots of cute babies** _ **yet**_ **. They need to get through all the horrible things I have planned for them first *evil grin*. Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing. I hope to see you in the sequel and I hope you liked this chapter.**

 **~ End of Replies ~**

 **To Everyone: Thank you all so much for sticking around this long. Extra special thanks to those who reviewed, followed, and favorited, and I hope to see you all in the coming sequel. But for now, it's goodbye.**


	37. Sequel?

**Author's note:**

A bit late, but I'd like to thank everyone who's supported NAPP! all this time. To all my reviewers, followers, and favorite-ers (?), thank you for seeing this fic to the end. I hope it was at least worth your time. And to all those who haven't reviewed, thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you eventually. Any words, no matter what words, will be cherished by this author. If you want to make sure I don't quit this series halfway, make your thoughts known. Because seriously, it's hard to write a trilogy. I'll try my best, so I implore you to do your best as well.

And another thing, the sequel is already out and I'm updating it on a random basis. It's called Of Lions And Blonde Avengers, and I'm in serious need of some inspiration. The more you respond, the faster I update. Probably.

That's all for now. Again, thanks for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting. Do some more so others can find this story. Because, really, it's buried underneath thousands of others. I'll be doing a rewrite eventually as well because the first chapters were kind of blah. If you'd like, please go check out my other stories.

I'd personally want to thank Tigershiddeninshadows, guest, Sweets Dreamer, MedusaLegend, Shishi, and Akirsch-Senpai for being such awesome frequent reviewers. You guys always made my day : ). I hope to continue reading your feedback in the future.

Sincerely,

Auntie Choco


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